ANTILACTOFERRIN AUTOANTIBODIES ASSOCIATED WITH HIV-INFECTION

Sera from 85 HIV-infected patients were tested for the presence of ant ilactoferrin antibodies (anti-LF Abs) by specific ELISA. Fifty-seven s era were found positive, including sera from asymptomatic (18/28, 64.3 %, mean O.D.: 0.27 +/- 0.05) and symptomatic patients (33/57, 68.4 %, mean O.D. : 0.82 +/- 0.15). In the control group, only one out of 26 normal donors show any reactivity (mean O.D.: 0.06 +/- 0.01). None of the tested patients had clinical evidence of vasculitis, the previous reported antilactoferrin-associated pathology and if, in both groups, a similar frequency of anti-LF Abs was found, the autoantibody level w as significantly higher among the symptomatic patients (p < 0.01). How ever, correlation was found neither with polymorphonuclear cell counts nor with the level of circulating lactoferrin. The characterization a nd the clinical significance of the autoantibodies are under investiga tion.