Characterization of autoantibodies to natural killer cells in HIV-infected patients.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Characterization of autoantibodies to natural killer cells in HIV-infected patients.

Scand J Immunol. 1996 May;43(5):583-92. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96233701
Muller C; Szangolies M; Kukel S; Kiehl M; Sorice M; Griggi T; Lenti L; Bauer R; University of Bonn, Department of Dermatology, Germany.

Abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells in HIV-infected patients have a reduced ability to generate non-MHC restricted cytotoxicity to a variety of target cells. The authors investigated antibodies to NK cells in HIV-infected patients and evaluated effects of these antibodies to NK cell numbers and function. Antibodies to NK cells were determined in 160 HIV-infected patients and 35 healthy controls. Flow cytometric whole blood methods were developed to detect antibodies to NK cells. Antibodies to asialo-GM1 were detected by TLC immunostaining. The presence of antibodies to NK cells was demonstrated in plasma of about one-third (54/160) of HIV-infected patients but rarely in controls (2/35). Auto-antibodies bound to NK cells in vivo and were detected by a strong increase of surface immunoglobulin (Ig) on NK cells of HIV-infected patients. Anti-NK cell antibodies were warmreactive antibodies rather of IgG than of IgM phenotype. The prevalence of specific antibodies to asialo-GM1 was low (12.5%). Numbers of circulating NK cells did not differ significantly between antibody positive (99.5/microliters) and antibody negative (141/microliters) patients (P = 0.3). However, pre-incubation of healthy donors' NK cells with autoantibody positive plasma significantly inhibited cytotoxicity to K562 leukaemic cells (P = 0.002). Autoantibodies to NK cells in HIV-infected patients are present in the plasma of one-third of HIV-infected patients and are bound to NK cells in vivo. There is evidence that these autoantibodies can induce NK cell defects similar to those seen in vivo.

Keywords: Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic/BLOOD Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity Autoantibodies/*BLOOD Blood Cell Count G(M1) Ganglioside/IMMUNOLOGY Human HIV Infections/*BLOOD/*IMMUNOLOGY Immunoglobulins, Surface/METABOLISM Killer Cells, Natural/CHEMISTRY/*IMMUNOLOGY Receptors, IgG/BIOSYNTHESIS JOURNAL ARTICLE
960930
M9690876

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