Relationship between anti-p24 antibody levels and p24 antigenemia in HIV-infected patients.
We studied the influence of HIV p24 antigen immune complexing with anti-p24 antibodies on the assessment of their respective levels in HIV-positive sera. ELISAs were used to evaluate anti-p24 antibody levels and p24 antigenemia, with or without acid dissociation. Observations include the following: (1) p24 antigenemia usually coexisted with low anti-p24 levels; (2) the p24 antigen concentration inversely correlated with anti-p24 antibody levels; and (3) acid dissociation increased the percentage of p24 antigen-positive sera, mostly when anti-p24 was low. In contrast, (1) antigenemia and antibodies varied independently in antiretroviral-treated AIDS patients, undetectable p24 antigen coexisting then with low anti-p24; (2) after acid dissociation, antigen was still undetectable in 83% of sera with high antibody levels, and in 20% with low antibody levels; and (3) acid dissociation did not increase low anti-p24 levels. Whereas the first set of observations indicates that p24 antigen and anti-p24 antibodies can be engaged in immune complexes, the second set indicates that p24 antigen and antibodies were not inevitably linked in such complexes: they may actually be indicative of two distinct biological phenomena.
Fenouillet
E
E
CNRS URA 1463, Paris, France.
Blanes
N
N
Coutellier
A
A
Gluckman
J C
JC
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood; D016049:Didanosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015215:Zidovudine; D016049:Didanosine