IGA IMMUNITY IN HIV TYPE 1-INFECTED CHIMPANZEES .2. MUCOSAL IMMUNITY

Vaginal wash fluids from chimpanzees cervically infected with HIV-1 an d saliva from intravenously and cervically infected chimpanzees were a nalyzed for total IgA, IgA1, IgA2, IgG, and albumin concentrations and for reactivity against HIV-1, No overt abnormalities were detected in salivary immunoglobulin or albumin concentrations in either group of animals, Anti-HN IgA and IgA subclass antibodies mere demonstrated in saliva from five of six intravenously infected chimpanzees and in two of four cervically infected animals, with titers ranging from 1:5 to 1 :20, HIV-specific IgG antibodies could be detected in saliva from half of the systemically infected group, the highest titer being 1:2560, w hereas the highest anti-HIV IgG titer in the mucosally infected group was 1:20, Western blot analyses of the first saliva samples obtained a fter initial virus exposure revealed IgG, IgA, and IgG subclass antibo dies directed at the env, gag, or pol gene products in both groups of chimpanzees, Examination of IgG, IgA, IgA1, and IgA2 concentrations in vaginal washes from cervically infected animals showed that IgG level s were highest, but IgA and IgA subclass reactivities against HIV-1 we re more prominent than that of IgG, These results demonstrate that sys temic infection of chimpanzees with HIV-1 elicits mucosal responses sp ecific for HIV, and vaginal infection of chimpanzees induces a common mucosal immune response reminiscent of that in humans.