Mc. Defer et al., ANTILACTOFERRIN AUTOANTIBODIES ASSOCIATED WITH HIV-INFECTION, Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie 3, Sciences de la vie, 317(7), 1994, pp. 675-678
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.