In-vitro production of HIV-specific antibody in children at risk of AIDS.

To improve on the early diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, 37 children born to HIV-infected mothers and 22 controls were investigated for in-vitro synthesis of IgG antibody directed against HIV components. For 14 of 16 infected children western blot showed HIV-specific IgG in the supernatants of cultures of their peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. HIV-specific IgG synthesis was detected in cultures from 4 out of 17 seropositive children aged under 15 months with no clinical or laboratory evidence of infection.

Spontaneous in vitro production of virus-specific antibody by lymphocytes from HIV-infected subjects.

In vitro synthesis of IgG directed against HIV components was detected by ELISA and Western blot assay of lymphocyte culture supernatants. Lymphocytes from HIV-infected individuals spontaneously produced antibody against HIV proteins very early in culture, suggesting in vivo activation of HIV-specific antibody-forming cells. The frequency of circulating B cells spontaneously secreting HIV-specific IgG was very high in some cases, but spontaneous HIV-specific antibody synthesis was not accompanied by polyclonal reactivation of B-cell clones of different specificity.

HIV-mediated immunodepression: in vitro inhibition of T-lymphocyte proliferative response by ultraviolet-inactivated virus.

In order to assess whether the human retrovirus HIV, like other animal retroviruses, is endowed with intrinsic immunosuppressive activity, we studied the effects of noninfectious, uv-irradiated virus on in vitro lymphocyte function. uvHIV preparations inhibited T-cell proliferation to mitogens and alloantigens, as well as mitogen-driven IL-2 production. The inhibitory effect, which was not exerted by uv-irradiated HTLV-I, was apparently not due to a decrease in cell viability and was likely associated with thermoresistant viral component(s).

Epidemiological survey of HIV infection in the Veneto region of Italy.

A seroepidemiological survey of the Veneto region was undertaken to determine the prevalence of HIV antibodies in the sera of subjects belonging to known risk groups for AIDS and related conditions. The sera were tested by ELISA and confirmed by radioimmunoassay (Western blot). Of the AIDS patients sero-positive for HIV antibodies, 55% (6/11) were from the intravenous drug abuser group and 18% (2/11) from the homosexual group.