Binding antibody to neutralizing epitope gp41 in HIV-1 subtype CRF 01_AE infection related to stage of disease

Abstract

The responsiveness of gp41 antibody against epitope ELDKWA in HIV-1 infected subjects is of importance in neutralizing viral infectivity and for being related to disease progression. In this study, antibody titers to this neutralizing epitope from HIV-1 infected subjects at asymptomatic and AIDS stages in Thailand were investigated by peptide ELISA. The results showed that the frequency of antibody production against this neutralizing epitope was low (15-35%). Moreover, antibody titers to this epitope in sera from AIDS patients were significantly lower than those in sera from asymptomatic subjects which were collected in the same year (p=0.001). Comparison between the past (1992-1994) and present (2002) sera from asymptomatic infected individuals revealed that the earlier panel contained lower antibody titers than the later panel did (p=0.05). In addition, random sera for HIV-1 infected subjects who were infected by diverse genetic subtypes, (A through G) including CRF 01_AE, had low titers of antibody to this region as well. It is assumed that antibody production to this epitope is low and related to the stage of HIV-1 infection.