ANTIBODY AGAINST HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 (HIV-1) TAT PROTEIN MAY HAVE INFLUENCED THE PROGRESSION OF AIDS IN HIV-1-INFECTED HEMOPHILIAC PATIENTS

Retrospective analysis of serum samples from a group of hemophiliac pa tients who became infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (H IV-1) between 1983 and 1985 has shown that, at variance with other HIV -1-infected patients, at the onset, or at least at a very early phase of HIV-1 infection, they constantly have elevated levels of antibodies against HIV-1-transactivating Tat protein and an absent or barely det ectable p24 antigenemia. Anti-Tat antibodies in initial serum samples from hemophiliac patients were probably the consequence of the passive administration of immunoglobulins present in low- or intermediate-pur ity clotting factor concentrates prepared from HIV-1-infected blood. F urthermore, the analysis of serial serum samples obtained during the c ourse of the disease, in which passively acquired anti-Tat antibodies were substituted by actively produced antibodies, demonstrated an inve rse relationship between anti-Tat antibody and p24 antigenemia levels throughout the observation period. These data seem to suggest that ant i-Tat antibody may have some influence on the course of HIV-1 infectio n.