ANTIBODIES TO THE HIV-1 P17 PROTEIN CROSS-REACT WITH HUMAN SUPEROXIDEDISMUTASE-2

Antibodies reacting with the gag protein p17 of the human immunodefici ency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can occasionally be found in the serum of no n-HIV-1-infected individuals. Conversely, anti-p17 antibodies can also react with human tissues from non-infected individuals. Here we repor t on the isolation from human liver of a molecule that is immunoreacti ve with anti-p17 antibodies. This molecule was purified to homogeneity and identified as superoxide dismutase-a (manganese type SOD). Both h uman SOD-2 and HIV-1 p17 contain the LQPALK hexapeptide which may serv e as a common antigenic determinant. This study indicates that human S OD-2 is a target for anti-p17 antibodies and suggests that HIV-1-negat ive individuals may possess SOD-2 auto-antibodies that cross-react wit h HIV-1 p17. (C) 1997 Academic Press