Women with cervicovaginal antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity have lower genital HIV-1 RNA loads.
Antibodies that mediate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) are present in the cervical fluid of many HIV-positive women; however, the role that these antibodies play in host defense against HIV is not known. To understand the contribution of ADCC in cervical secretions as a protective mechanism against HIV, we evaluated ADCC titers in paired serum and cervical-lavage (CVL) samples from >300 HIV-1-positive women who participated in the multicenter Division of AIDS Treatment Research Initiative Study 009. The present study demonstrates that women with CVL ADCC activity had lower genital viral loads than did women with serum ADCC activity only. Women with CVL ADCC activity were likely to have HIV-1 gp120-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G, but not IgA, in their cervical fluid. This finding suggests that specific IgG in cervical fluid can mediate ADCC activity that inversely correlates with genital viral load.
Nag
Pratip
P
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
Kim
Jenney
J
Sapiega
Vytautas
V
Landay
Alan L
AL
Bremer
James W
JW
Mestecky
Jiri
J
Reichelderfer
Patricia
P
Kovacs
Andrea
A
Cohn
Jonathan
J
Weiser
Barbara
B
Baum
Linda L
LL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral