VH3 gene expression in children with HIV infection.
OBJECTIVE
To study immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (V(H)) gene expression in HIV-uninfected (HIV-) and HIV-infected (HIV+) children.


METHODS
A retrospective, observational study was performed by PCR-ELISA to examine IgM and IgG V(H) gene family expression among peripheral CD19-positive B cells. The subjects were 10 HIV+ children with, and 11 HIV+ children without a history of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and 12 HIV- children. The ages of the HIV+ and HIV- children, and the CD4 lymphocyte counts and viral loads (VL) of the HIV+ /IPD- and HIV+ /IPD- children were statistically similar. Rearranged V(H)3 gene libraries were constructed from 3 HIV+ /IPD- children to examine individual gene expression.


RESULTS
The proportion of IgG V(H)3 expression among HIV+ /IPD- was lower than that of HIV- children, but the proportion of IgG V(H)3 expression among HIV+ /IPD+ children was not significantly different from that of HIV- children. IgG V(H)3 expression was positively, whereas IgM V(H)3 expression was inversely correlated with the VL among HIV+ /IPD+, but not HIV+ /IPD- children. IgM V(H) gene family expression did not differ between HIV+ and HIV- children.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV+ children manifest qualitative and quantitative differences in V(H)3 expression, which may be influenced by IPD.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Qing
Q
Chang
Jacobo
J
Abadi
Michael
M
Rosenberg
Liise-anne
LA
Pirofski
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region