Humoral response to viral and self-antigens in HIV infection

描述：如果病毒载量保持在最低限度，HIV阳性个体的疾病预后明显改善。在缺乏抗病毒治疗的情况下，一些非进展者似乎具有先天的控制病毒表达的能力，一般认为这种对病毒血症的控制主要是由对病毒的体液和/或细胞免疫反应决定的。然而，非进展者和快速进展者都表现出对HIV的大量免疫反应，体液抗体反应特别针对主要中和靶点——病毒包膜。对FIV感染相关的体液抗体反应的研究表明，在很大比例的感染猫中存在针对主要结合受体CD134的抗体。此外，这些抗cd134抗体在体外阻断FIV感染，它们的存在与体内低/慢疾病进展相关。与CD134的反应发生在一个仅在病毒结合时暴露的隐性表位上，从而避免了潜在的自身免疫问题。本研究的目的是研究针对HIV初级结合受体CD4的同源抗受体抗体的特性，我们已经在筛选大约300名HIV感染患者的血清中发现了这些抗体。我们希望确定疾病进展的速度/程度与抗cd4抗体反应的产生之间是否存在关系；2)抗cd4抗体亚群是否干扰HIV感染。为此，我们提出以下目标：1)。采用免疫亲和法从患者血清中纯化抗cd4抗体，并评估这些抗体对病毒进入靶细胞的影响；2)继续筛选额外的患者血清，以评估抗CD4、抗su和抗gag体液抗体反应作为疾病进展速度/程度的功能，通过相对CD4+和CD8+ T细胞水平和病毒载量来测量。这些发现将增加我们对抗病毒反应性质的理解，因为它与保护有关，从而有助于开发更有效的疫苗策略。

DESCRIPTION: The disease prognosis for HIV positive individuals is markedly improved if viral loads are kept at a minimum. Some non-progressors appear to have an innate ability to control virus expression in the absence of antiviral therapies and it is generally assumed that this control of viremia is largely dictated by the humoral and/or cellular immune response to the virus. However, both non-progressors and rapid progressors exhibit substantial immune responses to HIV, with humoral antibody responses particularly directed at the major neutralization target, the viral envelope. Studies of the humoral antibody response associated with FIV infection has revealed the presence of antibodies to the primary binding receptor, CD134, in a high percentage of infected cats. Furthermore, these anti-CD134 antibodies blocked FIV infection ex vivo and their presence correlated with low/slow disease progression in vivo. Reactivity with CD134 occurs at a cryptic epitope that is only exposed when virus binds, thus avoiding potential autoimmune issues. The purpose of the present studies is to pursue characterization of the homologous anti-receptor antibodies against the HIV primary binding receptor, CD4 that we have identified in screening the sera of approximately 300 HIV-infected patients. We wish to determine whether there is a relationship between rate/extent of disease progression and generation of anti-CD4 antibody responses; and 2) whether a subset of anti-CD4 antibodies interfere with HIV infection. To this end, we propose the following Aims: 1). Use Immunoaffinity to purify anti-CD4 antibodies from patient serum and assess the influence of those antibodies on virus uptake into target cells; and 2) Continue screening of additional patient serum to assess anti-CD4,anti-SU, and anti-Gag humoral antibody responses as a function of rate/extent of disease progression, as measured by relative CD4+ and CD8+ T cell levels and viral load. The findings will increase our understanding of the nature of the antiviral response as it relates to protection and thus aid in development of more efficacious vaccine strategies.