title: Increased levels of galactose-deficient IgG in sera of HIV-1-infected individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The IgG from sera of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases of autoimmune character or some chronic microbial infections is frequently deficient in galactose on N-linked glycans. However, this phenomenon has not been investigated at length in human viral infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the glycosylation of serum IgG in HIV-1-positive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psathyrella velutina lectin was used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent and Western blot assays to determine glycosylation. In addition, gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were utilized to confirm the galactose deficiency observed in the lectin-binding assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV-1-infected individuals had significantly higher levels of galactose-deficient IgG than healthy controls. In fact, the galactose deficiency of the N-linked glycans observed in other diseases was even more profound in HIV-1 infection. This deficiency was primarily restricted to IgG when total serum glycoproteins were evaluated and IgG1 was the subclass most affected in all patients. Also, a significant increase in lectin binding was observed on IgG2 and IgG4 from HIV-1-positive females compared with HIV-1-negative females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identification of deficient galactosylation of serum IgG from HIV-1-infected patients extended the spectrum of diseases in which this phenomenon has been observed. In addition, the results suggest yet another aspect of immune dysfunction as a result of HIV-1 infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. moorejs@uab.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Xueling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kulhavy
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomana
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Zina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Moldoveanu
authors.forename: Rhubell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Goepfert
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mestecky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000363:Agaricales; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D006031:Glycosylation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D037102:Lectins; D005690:Galactose