Lack of in vitro anti-gp160 antibody production is a correlate of nonprogression among HIV type 1-infected individuals.
The aim of our study was to investigate the possible correlation of in vitro antibody production (IVAP) directed to the gp160 protein of HIV-1 with CD4+ slopes, plasma viremia, and disease progression in long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs). Nineteen subjects with a long-term nonprogressive HIV-1 infection were studied and followed for 2 years. During the follow-up, in vitro anti-gp160 producers showed negative CD4+ slopes in the majority of cases (9 of 12), whereas 5 of 7 nonproducers showed positive CD4+ slopes. Plasma viremia values, which were not significantly different in the two groups at baseline, became significantly higher in anti-gp160 producers when compared with nonproducers during the follow-up (p = 0.012). Finally, a trend toward progression was observed in the group of producers but not in nonproducers. These findings suggest that the in vitro production of anti-gp160 antibodies by peripheral B cells is not a correlate of protection, and may represent an early predictor of progression in LTNPs.
Rusconi
S
S
Istituto di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Università di Milano, Ospedale Luigi Sacco, Milan, Italy.
Santambrogio
S
S
Di Marco
A
A
Colombo
M C
MC
Citterio
P
P
Adorni
F
F
Galli
M
M
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160