SYNCYTIUM INHIBITION ANTIBODIES AND MATERNAL-INFANT AIDS

HIV-1从受感染的母亲传播给她们的婴儿的速度是 不到30%。传播率和表达 子代的疾病可能是由体液和 母婴细胞介导的免疫反应及其生物学机制 人类免疫缺陷病毒1型感染株的特性研究以前对这方面的研究 实验室已经开发出一种HIV-1病毒 利用几个独特的细胞系进行的合胞体抑制试验。 初步工作表明，流行率和滴度存在显著差异 存活时间较长的儿童是否存在合体抑制(SI)抗体 与前1-2个月死于机会性感染的人相比 生命中的岁月。很可能这些SI抗体起到保护作用 对儿童有影响，并可能调节垂直传播的速度。 因此，计划进行研究，以进一步探讨 HIV-1 SI抗体的流行、滴度及临床表现 儿童的疾病。研究将扩大到包括分析 孕妇血清中SI抗体是否也影响临床 母亲的疾病表现或改变垂直率 变速箱。还将进行实验，以了解是否 SI抗体效价受目标使用的HIV-1毒株的影响 细胞系统或病毒所在的细胞类型。遗传 表达系统以及单抗和多克隆抗体都将 用于识别引起SI的表位 抗体。为了研究SI抗体的病毒学相关性 在妇女和儿童中产生的SI抗体之间的关联 滴度、血浆和细胞相关性病毒血症以及p24抗原的产生将 要下定决心。在这一过程中，多种HIV-1毒株将 分离的，培养的，生物学特征的。这些研究已经 对疫苗开发和被动免疫疗法的影响。

HIV-1 is transmitted from infected mothers to their infants at a rate of less than 30 percent. The rate of transmission and the expression of disease in the offspring are probably modulated by both humoral and cell-mediated responses in mother and child and by the biologic characteristics of the infecting strain of HIV-1. Previous studies in this laboratory have resulted in the development of an HIV-1 syncytium-inhibition assay which makes use of several unique cell lines. Preliminary work point to a marked difference in the prevalence and titer of syncytium inhibition (SI) antibodies in children who survive longer compared to those who succumb to opportunistic infections in the first 1-2 years of life. It is likely that these SI antibodies exert a protective effect in children and may modulate the rate of vertical transmission. Hence, studies are planned to examine further the relationship between the prevalence and titer of SI antibodies and clinical expression of HIV-1 disease in children. Studies will be expanded to include analysis of maternal sera in order to learn whether SI antibody also affects clinical expression of disease in the mother or alters the rate of vertical transmission. Experiments will also be undertaken to learn whether the titer of SI antibody is affected by the HIV-1 strain used in the target cell system or by the cell type in which the virus resides. Genetic expression systems and both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies will be used in order to identify the epitopes responsible for eliciting SI antibodies. In order to study the virologic correlates of SI antibody production in women and children, the association between SI antibody titer, plasma and cell-associated viremia and p24 antigen production will be determined. In the process, a variety of HIV-1 strains will be isolated, cultivated, and characterized biologically. These studies have implications for both vaccine development and passive immunotherapy.