ANTIGEN ANTIBODY CONTENT OF CIRCULATING IMMUNE-COMPLEXES IN HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS/

Dual infection with HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) is not an uncommon feature, Immunity impairment due to HIV infection can be the cause of a higher rate of HBV replication with less intensive liver damage and less effective immune response to HBV. Many HIV-infected patients hav e an elevated level of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in serum, th roughout an stages of illness evolution. The aim of our study was to e stimate p24 and HBsAg content of CTC in dually infected patients, and the prevalence of major classes of complexed antibodies (IgM and IgG). We examined 146 samples of sera from 105 HIV positive patients of the Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases during 1992 and 1993. On those sera we performed p24Ag and HbsAg detection, with and without prior dissociation of CIC, we determined serum level of CIC and immun oglobulin classes IgM and IgG level in sera and in polyethilenglycol ( PEG) precipitates of sera. Acid dissociation of immune complexes revea led a high proportion of HIV antigen positive sera in all stages of HI V disease progression. HbsAg in serum of HIV positive patients was als o found coupled in immune complexes much more frequently than in the H IV negative control group. In many instances both antigens were simult aneously found coupled in CIC. Immune complexes detected have been sho wn to contain both IgM and IgG immunoglobulins, while IgM antibodies w ere associated to immune complexes in higher proportion than IgG, comp ared to total serum immunoglobulins.