Different dysregulations of the natural antibody repertoire in treated anduntreated HIV-1 patients

To investigate a possible dysregulation of the autoantibody network in AIDS patients, the relative activity of representative natural antibodies was m easured in serum IgG and I-M. These immunoglobulins were purified from two cohorts of 20 HIV-infected patients undergoing, or not, a triple combinatio n therapy. A cohort of 20 normal patients was used as a control. Marked alt erations of the natural antibody repertoire were observed, varying accordin g to the isotype and specificity of the antibody studied. For the classical self-protein antigens, human actin and myosin, the changes observed in the untreated cohort were absent in the treated cohort. In contrast, no change s, or even increased changes of the activity of antibodies to special antig ens, DNA and TNP, occurred in the treated cohort. The differences were high ly significant, indicating that this repertoire is regulated and not random ly modified by the disease. These results suggest the presence of different factors of dysregulation of the B cell. repertoire of natural antibodies a ssociated with the disease as well as with the treatment. These major dysre gulations may favor the autoimmune phenomena observed during HIV infection. (C) 2001 Academic Press.