title: Isotype profiles of anti-gp160 antibodies from HIV-infected patients in plasma and culture supernatants.
abstract: We studied isotype profiles of anti-HIV antibodies (Ab) in HIV-1-infected African patients with high viral loads and major B cell dysfunction. We focussed on IgG1, IgG3, and IgA as these classes and subclasses tend to support neutralizing functions against HIV. Total IgG1, IgG3 and IgA were detected in the plasma of both HIV-1-infected and HIV-negative African individuals, but there was significantly more IgG3, a rare subclass, in HIV-1-infected patients (P < 0.05). Anti-HIV-gp160 specific antibodies were detected in sera from nearly all HIV-1-infected individuals tested, but not in HIV- individuals: 10/10, 9/10 and 8/10 individuals displayed specific IgG1, IgG3 and IgA, respectively. In the corresponding PBMC cultures carried out in the presence of IL-10 and IL-2, there was specific IgG1 and IgA in 5/10, and 3/10, respectively, but no IgG3 was detected. When HAART-treated European HIV-infected PBMC cultures were tested using the same protocol, specific IgG3 was detected in 4/10 cultures, and was unaffected by the addition of soluble CD40L molecules. The present study thus shows that, despite lymph node disorganization in HIV-infected drug-naïve Africans, these individuals retain the ability to produce HIV-specific IgG1, IgG3 and IgA. However, the specific mechanisms controlling the selective production of IgG3, probably the most potent subclass and a potential target of immuno-intervention, warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: GIMAP EA3064, Faculté de Médecine, Université Jean Monnet, 15 Rue A. Pare 42023 Saint Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Lydie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Béniguel
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bégaud
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peruchon
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cognasse
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gabrié
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marovich
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucht
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Genin
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Garraud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes