Antibody-secreting B cells in HIV infection.
OBJECTIVE
Several recent advances are permitting a detailed examination of the HIV-specific B-cell response. In this review, we summarize these advances and their implications for understanding the response to HIV during chronic infection or in vaccine.


RESULTS
In HIV-infected patients, aberrant B-cell phenotypes have been associated with diminished humoral responses to other pathogens. HIV-specific B cells are overrepresented in some of these abnormal subsets. Over the past 2 years, flow cytometry-based techniques have been developed to stain HIV-specific B cells. These techniques are permitting a re-examination of frequency, phenotype, and function of HIV-specific B cells. They are also permitting the isolation of HIV-specific B cells in high purity. Immunoglobulin G from sorted HIV-specific B cells is oligoclonal, uses a limited repertoire of immunoglobulin genes, and targets multiple epitopes on Env.


CONCLUSIONS
It is likely that the defects found in total B cells in HIV-infected patients also play a role in the poorly effective HIV-specific antibody response. A subset of HIV-infected patients produced broadly neutralizing antibodies. Understanding this antibody response, and the B cells that underlie it, may be critical in efforts to elicit neutralizing antibodies against HIV.
Doria-Rose
Nicole A
NA
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Connors
Mark
M
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015483:HIV Antibodies