ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ANTI-HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 (HIV-1) ANTIBODY-DEPENDENT CELLULAR CYTOTOXICITY ANTIBODY-TITERS AT BIRTH AND VERTICAL TRANSMISSION OF HIV-1

Because vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 ( HIV-1) from mother to infant occurs in only 15%-35% of possible opport unities, natural immune defenses of the mother, fetus, or neonate may be protective against infection. The relation between antibody-depende nt cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) antibodies and HIV-1 infection was exp lored in 78 neonates born to HIV-infected women. More than 90% of sera had measurable ADCC titers against HIV-1(IIIB). Infant titers were cl osely correlated with maternal titers but were independent of total Ig G and total antibody reactive to the same strain in whole virus ELISA. At birth, mean ADCC antibody levels of infants or their mothers were the same for infants who were infected and those who ultimately serore verted and remained healthy. ADCC antibody titers against HIV-1(SF2) w ere weakly correlated with anti-HIV-1(IIIB) titers and did not predict protection from HIV-1 infection. High levels of anti-HIV-1 ADCC antib ody at birth are not protective against vertical transmission of HIV-1 .