title: Early detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific B-lymphocyte-derived antibodies in a high-risk population.
abstract: Diagnosis of acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, a key driver of the HIV epidemic, remains a public health challenge. The PlasmAcute technology offers an opportunity to detect early anti-HIV antibody responses. B lymphocytes (B cells) were isolated from the blood of seronegative miners in South Africa by using the PlasmAcute method. B-cell lysates and paired sera were tested for anti-HIV-1 antibodies by two different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays; immunoreactivity was confirmed by Western blotting. All volunteers were tested for HIV type 1 (HIV-1) viral load, p24 antigen, and CD4 count. Sera from HIV-seronegative men who had positive viral loads and were positive for p24 antigen were retested for anti-HIV antibodies after immune complex dissociation. Anti-HIV antibodies were detected in lysates from 16/259 subjects without immunoreactivity in paired sera. Four subjects, one of whom had a positive viral load initially, subsequently seroconverted. Six subjects showed transient anti-HIV-1 antibodies in the lysates and tested negative for all markers at the follow-up. Five subjects without follow-up data initially had lysate-positive/serum-negative samples, and these cases were classified as inconclusive. One subject had lysate antibodies and a detectable viral load but was seronegative at follow-up. In conclusion, lysate-derived anti-HIV-1 B-cell antibodies can be detected prior to seroconversion and earlier than or contemporary with HIV-1 RNA detection.
authors.affiliation: PlasmAcute AS, Bergen, Norway. odd.odinsen@getmail.no
authors.forename: Odd
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Odinsen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Radebe
authors.forename: Mikey
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guness
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002457:Cell Extracts / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013019:South Africa; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002457:Cell Extracts; D015483:HIV Antibodies