Prevalence of anti-vif antibodies in HIV-1 infected individuals assessed using recombinant baculovirus expressed vif protein.
A 630 base pair fragment of the HIV-1 genome encompassing the entire vif open reading frame has been produced by the polymerase chain reaction and cloned into the baculovirus transfer vector pAcYM1. Extracts from insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus expressing the HIV-1 vif gene product were used in a radioimmunoassay to analyse 238 sera from HIV infected individuals for the presence of anti-vif antibodies. The overall prevalence of anti-vif antibodies in this group of patients was 25.3%. Stratification of the group according to CD4 levels showed that anti-vif antibodies were more prevalent in patients with CD4 counts below the median of the group (155 x 10(6) cells/L; P = 0.005). A significant increase in anti-vif antibodies was observed in patients with CD4 levels less than 280 x 10(6) cells/L (P < 0.01) and in patients with symptomatic HIV infection (P = 0.0003). However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of anti-vif antibodies in patients stratified according to p24 antigen status. The implications of these findings in the context of HIV replication are discussed.
O'Neil
C
C
Department of Virology, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Lee
D
D
Clewley
G
G
Johnson
M A
MA
Emery
V C
VC
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016346:Gene Products, vif / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D016341:Genes, vif; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D018411:Spodoptera; D014162:Transfection; D054320:vif Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D016346:Gene Products, vif; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054320:vif Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus