THE LEVEL OF THE SERUM OPSONIN, MANNAN-BINDING PROTEIN IN HIV-1 ANTIBODY-POSITIVE PATIENTS

The concentrations of mannan-binding protein (MBP) in consecutive samp les from 10 HIV+ persons were estimated using an ELISA based on polycl onal rabbit anti-MBP. The changes in MBP with time were similar in HIV + and HIV- persons, and did not appear to be of clinical significance. MBP was determined in a further 70 persons found HIV-1(+) during a pe riod af 2.5 years (1984-1986). Out of the total of 80 patients, 32 hav e by now died from AIDS. According to the serum level of MBP the HIV-i nfected persons were grouped into high (> 650 ng MBP/ml), intermediate (101-650 ng/ml), and low MBP (< 101 ng/ml). At the termination of the study the frequency of deaths/total in each of the groups were: high MBP, 14/39 (36%); intermediate MBP, 12/26 (46%); and low MBP, 6/14 (43 %). There was no association between the MBP level of the individual a nd the progressive loss of CD4(+) T cells, and the level of MBP was no t predictive for the length of time between the detection of HIV antib odies and development of AIDS, nor for the duration of AIDS before dea th occurred. The number of HIV+ persons without detectable MBP (10%) w as significantly higher than previously reported for healthy persons ( 2.4%, P = 0.027). The course of HIV infection does not seem to be infl uenced by the level of MBP, nor does the antimicrobial activity of MBP appear to affect the progression of AIDS. Further studies are require d to substantiate the significance of absence of MBP in the susceptibi lity to HIV.