title: Normal levels of allo- but increased levels of potentially autoreactive antibodies against ABO histo-blood group antigens in AIDS patients.
abstract: The aim of our study was to investigate the immune response of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in relation to the naturally occurring ABO histo-blood group antibodies. Despite markedly elevated levels of total IgM/G/A, anti-A/B isotypes revealed no significant different mean levels in AIDS patients compared to controls. However, 12 A-type AIDS sera out of 17 (70%) had anti-A IgA levels that were increased by >2 SD above normal range; anti-A IgM and anti-A IgG were increased in 7/17 (41%) and 2/17 (12%) of A-type AIDS sera, respectively. We conclude that the specific response to ABO histo-blood group antigens remains at levels similar to normal and does not follow hypergammaglobulinemia. As yet, certain A-type AIDS patients may form auto-anti-A as suggested by a portion of our data.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Regional Hospital Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Friedli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rieben
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wegmüller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moerenhout
authors.forename: U E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Nydegger
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007518:Isoantibodies