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Presence of IgM Antibodies Which Sensitize HIV‐1‐Infected Cells to Cytolysis by Homologous Complement in Long‐Term Survivors of HIV Infection
Author(s) -
Okada Noriko,
Wu Xiaoshan,
Okada Hidechika
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1997.tb01209.x
Subject(s) - cytolysis , antibody , biology , immunology , virology , complement system , immune system , cytotoxic t cell , in vitro , biochemistry
Although human cells are resistant to homologous human complement due to the presence of species‐specific membrane inhibitors, a naturally occurring IgM antibody which recognizes an asialo‐oligosaccharide can sensitize HIV‐1‐infected cells for complement‐mediated cytolysis. Therefore, we investigated whether long‐term survivors of HIV‐1 infection harbor such antibodies in their sera. Thirty of 31 sera from HIV‐1 seropositive hemophilia patients who have survived HIV‐1 infection 10 years or more showed appreciable cytolytic activity, while only 2 sera of 10 seropositive patients presumed to have been infected with HIV‐1 (due to sexual contact) more recently showed cytolytic activity. On the other hand, only 7 out of 43 sera from seronegative hemophilia patients showed cytolytic activity. Immunofluorescence staining for IgM on HIV‐ L ‐infected cells essentially correlated with the cytolytic capacity of the sera. Therefore, naturally occurring IgM antibodies and/or generated IgM antibodies reactive with the HIV‐ L ‐infected cells in patients might have been responsible for long‐term survival due to complement‐mediated immune cytolysis which may, in conjunction with cytotoxic T lymphocytes, synergistically suppress the infected cells in vivo . Therefore, the transfusion of such IgM antibodies could be effective for the treatment of HIV‐ L ‐infected individuals.