Predictive value of anti-cell and anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) humoral responses in HIV-1-exposed seronegative cohorts of European and Asian origin

• Published in: Journal of general virology Vol. 86; no. 2; pp. 339 - 348
• Main Authors: Lopalco, L, Barassi, C, Paolucci, C, Breda, D, Brunelli, D, Nguyen, M, Nouhin, J, Luong, T. T, Truong, L. X, Clerici, M, Calori, G, Lazzarin, A, Pancino, G, Burastero, S. E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01-02-2005; Society for General Microbiology; Microbiology Society
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibody Specificity; Antigens, CD4; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 Antigens - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cohort Studies; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV Antibodies; HIV Antibodies - blood; HIV Envelope Protein gp120; HIV Envelope Protein gp120 - immunology; HIV Envelope Protein gp41; HIV Envelope Protein gp41 - immunology; HIV Seronegativity; HIV Seronegativity - genetics; HIV Seronegativity - immunology; HIV-1; Human health and pathology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin A - blood; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infectious diseases; Life Sciences; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Odds Ratio; Receptors, CCR5; Receptors, CCR5 - immunology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Virology; Europe; Human; Origin; Immunopathology; Microbiology; HIV-1 virus; Retroviridae; AIDS; Lentivirus; Immune deficiency; Virology; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Predictive value; Human immunodeficiency virus; Predictive factor; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.80585-0

1 Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
2 Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
3 Institut Pasteur, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
4 Department of Immunology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
5 Unité de Biologie des Rétrovirus, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
Correspondence L. Lopalco lopalco.lucia{at}hsr.it
Unconventional immune responses have been demonstrated in individuals who, despite repeated exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, remain seronegative. As environmental exposure to pathogens and genetic background may modulate immune responses differentially, one Italian and two Asian populations of HIV-1-exposed seronegative individuals were studied. In serum samples from each group, IgG to CCR5, IgG to CD4 and IgA to gp41 were measured, which were previously described as markers of unconventional immunity in HIV-exposed seronegative Caucasians. Given the importance of conformational epitopes in virus–cell interactions, IgG to CD4–gp120 complex was also measured. It was found that markers of HIV exposure were present in all populations studied. HIV-specific humoral responses (IgA to gp41 and IgG to CD4–gp120 complex) were extremely significant predictors of HIV exposure ( P <0·0001 in both cases), whereas the predictive values of anti-cell antibodies (anti-CCR5 and anti-CD4) varied between populations. Evidence is provided for the correlation of these differences with route of exposure to HIV and level of natural antibodies to cross-reactive microbial antigens. In conclusion, exposed seronegative individuals of ethnically different origins display similar signs of HIV-dependent unconventional immunity. A specific relevance must be attributed to different innate and acquired factors.