Incomplete IgG response to HIV-1 proteins and low avidity levels in recently converted HIV patients treated with early antiretroviral therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the evolution of antibody avidity and Western blot reactivity in recently infected HIV-1 subjects and to study the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on avidity maturation of HIV-1-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in patients with recent HIV-1 infection.


METHODS
Thirty-six HIV-1 seroconverters were enrolled in this study and followed longitudinally over 24 months to evaluate if the administration of antiretroviral therapy during primary infection affects Western blot reactivity and the evolution of antibody avidity. The patients were divided into two groups; group A consisted of 19 HIV-1-untreated patients who did not receive any drug treatment during our follow-up period; group B consisted of 17 subjects who were treated early with an association of two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) within 3 months after seroconversion.


RESULTS
At diagnosis, Western blot analysis and avidity index (mean value) were exactly matched in untreated and treated patients; subsequently, however, a significantly lower reactivity to HIV-1 pol and gag proteins and a lower avidity index (mean values) were observed in HAART-treated patients up until the end of the follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
The impaired production and maturation of the humoral immunological response in antiretroviral-treated patients might be related to a rapid suppression of HIV replication, driven by HAART. These results could have important implications in understanding the complex mechanism of the immune response during HIV infection.
Re
Maria Carla
MC
Microbiology Section of the Department of Hematology and Oncologic Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. mariacarla.re@unibo.it
Schiavone
Pasqua
P
Bon
Isabella
I
Vitone
Francesca
F
De Crignis
Elisa
E
Biagetti
Carlo
C
Gibellini
Davide
D
D000328:Adult; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000032:analysis; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014779:Virus Replication; D054302:pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000032:analysis
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054302:pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus