ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIENDOTHELIAL CELL ANTIBODIES BUT NOT WITH ANTI-BETA-2 GLYCOPROTEIN-I ANTIBODIES IN HIV-INFECTION

HIV infection is associated with polyclonal increase in serum immunogl obulins and with elevated titers of serum antibodies to a variety of s elf antigens, including anti-phospholipid antibodies. In the present s tudy, we found a high prevalence of 46.8% of serum IgG anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) in a group of 111 unselected HIV-seropositive indivi duals. The presence of ACA was correlated with that of IgG antibodies to endothelial cells (AECA) but not with that of anti-beta 2 glycoprot ein I antibodies, that were only found in 7.4% of the patients. The pr esence of IgG ACA was not associated with detectable lupus anticoagula nt activity, nor with a history of thrombosis. Serum titers of ACA wer e not correlated with absolute numbers of circulating CD4(+) cells. We found no relationship between the presence and titers of ACA, hyperga mmaglobulinemia, and serum titers of natural IgG autoantibodies to a p anel of self antigens. Our results suggest that increased titers of AC A in HIV infection result from a biased expansion of B cell clones pro ducing natural autoantibodies. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.