Dynamics of spontaneous HIV-1 specific and non-specific B-cell responses in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.
OBJECTIVE
As spontaneous anti-HIV-1 antibody and IgG secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) reflect immune system activation by HIV-1 antigens, we evaluated the impact of antiretroviral therapies on HIV-1 specific and non-specific B cell responses.


METHODS
Anti-HIV-1 antibody and non-specific IgG were measured by ELISA in supernatants of PBMC cultured during 7 day from 30 patients initiating an antiretroviral therapy at baseline, 8, 16, 24, 36 and 48 weeks.


RESULTS
An early and sustained fall in plasma viral load to below the detection limit (20 copies/ml) was observed in 17 sustained responder patients (SR), whereas HIV-1 RNA remained detectable in 13 others incomplete responders. In both groups, HIV-1 specific antibody secretion decreased significantly in parallel with plasma viral load and polyclonal immunoglobulin production became similar to that of PBMC controls. However, HIV-1 specific antibody production became negative in only six SR, exhibiting a greater increase of CD4 T-cell counts and higher levels of the spontaneous HIV-1 specific IgA secretion at baseline than the other SR.


CONCLUSIONS
Antiretroviral therapy induced a rapid and dramatic decrease of spontaneous HIV-1 specific and non-specific B cell responses. These results pointed out that HIV-1 specific antibody secretion persisted in 11 out of 17 SR patients, suggesting persistent immune system activation by residual HIV-1 antigens.
Fournier
Anne-Marie
AM
From the Département de Virologie Clinique, Hôpitaux Lapeyronie et Saint Eloi, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Baillat
Vincent
V
Alix-Panabieres
Catherine
C
Fondere
Jean-Michel
JM
Merle
Corinne
C
Segondy
Michel
M
Huguet
Marie-France
MF
Reynes
Jacques
J
Vendrell
Jean-Pierre
JP
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors