Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1988 Apr;26(4):641–647. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.4.641-647.1988

Antibodies reactive with human immunodeficiency virus gag-coded antigens (gag reactive only) are a major cause of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reactivity in a blood donor population.

D E Tribe 1, D L Reed 1, P Lindell 1, W R Kenealy 1, B Q Ferguson 1, R Cybulski 1, D Winslow 1, D M Waselefsky 1, S R Petteway Jr 1
PMCID: PMC266397  PMID: 3259246

Abstract

Normal blood donors were examined for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-reactive antibodies with both virus- and Escherichia coli-expressed env- and gag-coded antigens. The frequency of samples from normal (low-risk) donors that were repeatedly reactive with an HIV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay blood screening test (Du Pont Co.) was 0.6%. Two classes of HIV serological reactivity were identified: a minor env-reactive class (0.03 to 0.06% of donors) and the predominant env-nonreactive gag-reactive class (gag reactive only [GRO]) (0.4 to 0.5% of donors). Assignment of env reactivity was made by a synthetic (recombinant) env enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and virus immunoblot. Most GRO sera reacted with p15/p17 bands on HIV immunoblot. Antibody specificity in GRO sera was confirmed by competition-binding studies with viral gag and E. coli-expressed p55gag. This study provides independent verification that gag-specific antibodies are present in many env-nonreactive sera. More serological and virological studies of individuals with this antibody pattern should be pursued to determine the origin of these gag-reactive antibodies.

Full text

PDF
647

Images in this article

643Image
on p.643
644Image
on p.644

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bedarida G., Cambiè G., D'Agostino F., Ronsivalle M. G., Berto E., Grisi M. E. HIV IgM antibodies in risk groups who are seronegative on ELISA testing. Lancet. 1986 Sep 6;2(8506):570–571. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)90133-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Biberfeld G., Bredberg-Rådén U., Böttiger B., Putkonen P. O., Blomberg J., Juto P., Wadell G. Blood donor sera with false-positive Western blot reactions to human immunodeficiency virus. Lancet. 1986 Aug 2;2(8501):289–290. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)92111-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brun-Vezinet F., Rouzioux C., Barre-Sinoussi F., Klatzmann D., Saimot A. G., Rozenbaum W., Christol D., Gluckmann J. C., Montagnier L., Chermann J. C. Detection of IgG antibodies to lymphadenopathy-associated virus in patients with AIDS or lymphadenopathy syndrome. Lancet. 1984 Jun 9;1(8389):1253–1256. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92444-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burke D. S., Redfield R. R., Putman P., Alexander S. S. Variations in Western blot banding patterns of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Jan;25(1):81–84. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.1.81-84.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carlson J. R., Bryant M. L., Hinrichs S. H., Yamamoto J. K., Levy N. B., Yee J., Higgins J., Levine A. M., Holland P., Gardner M. B. AIDS serology testing in low- and high-risk groups. JAMA. 1985 Jun 21;253(23):3405–3408. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clavel F., Guyader M., Guétard D., Sallé M., Montagnier L., Alizon M. Molecular cloning and polymorphism of the human immune deficiency virus type 2. Nature. 1986 Dec 18;324(6098):691–695. doi: 10.1038/324691a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Clavel F., Guétard D., Brun-Vézinet F., Chamaret S., Rey M. A., Santos-Ferreira M. O., Laurent A. G., Dauguet C., Katlama C., Rouzioux C. Isolation of a new human retrovirus from West African patients with AIDS. Science. 1986 Jul 18;233(4761):343–346. doi: 10.1126/science.2425430. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Couroucé A. M., Muller J. Y., Richard D. False-positive Western blot reactions to human immunodeficiency virus in blood donors. Lancet. 1986 Oct 18;2(8512):921–922. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)90443-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Esteban J. I., Shih J. W., Tai C. C., Bodner A. J., Kay J. W., Alter H. J. Importance of western blot analysis in predicting infectivity of anti-HTLV-III/LAV positive blood. Lancet. 1985 Nov 16;2(8464):1083–1086. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)90683-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jason J., McDougal J. S., Holman R. C., Stein S. F., Lawrence D. N., Nicholson J. K., Dixon G., Doxey M., Evatt B. L. Human T-lymphotropic retrovirus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus antibody. Association with hemophiliacs' immune status and blood component usage. JAMA. 1985 Jun 21;253(23):3409–3415. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kanki P. J., Alroy J., Essex M. Isolation of T-lymphotropic retrovirus related to HTLV-III/LAV from wild-caught African green monkeys. Science. 1985 Nov 22;230(4728):951–954. doi: 10.1126/science.2997923. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kanki P. J., Barin F., M'Boup S., Allan J. S., Romet-Lemonne J. L., Marlink R., McLane M. F., Lee T. H., Arbeille B., Denis F. New human T-lymphotropic retrovirus related to simian T-lymphotropic virus type III (STLV-IIIAGM). Science. 1986 Apr 11;232(4747):238–243. doi: 10.1126/science.3006256. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kanki P. J., McLane M. F., King N. W., Jr, Letvin N. L., Hunt R. D., Sehgal P., Daniel M. D., Desrosiers R. C., Essex M. Serologic identification and characterization of a macaque T-lymphotropic retrovirus closely related to HTLV-III. Science. 1985 Jun 7;228(4704):1199–1201. doi: 10.1126/science.3873705. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kenealy W., Reed D., Cybulski R., Tribe D., Taylor P., Stevens C., Matthews T., Petteway S. Analysis of human serum antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using recombinant ENV and GAG antigens. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1987 Spring;3(1):95–105. doi: 10.1089/aid.1987.3.95. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kühnl P., Seidl S., Holzberger G. HLA DR4 antibodies cause positive HTLV-III antibody ELISA results. Lancet. 1985 May 25;1(8439):1222–1223. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)92910-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lange J. M., Coutinho R. A., Krone W. J., Verdonck L. F., Danner S. A., van der Noordaa J., Goudsmit J. Distinct IgG recognition patterns during progression of subclinical and clinical infection with lymphadenopathy associated virus/human T lymphotropic virus. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986 Jan 25;292(6515):228–230. doi: 10.1136/bmj.292.6515.228. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lelie P. N., van der Poel C. L., Reesink H. W. Interpretation of isolated HIV anti-p24 reactivity in Western blot analysis. Lancet. 1987 Mar 14;1(8533):632–632. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(87)90274-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mseleni joint disease. Lancet. 1985 Aug 31;2(8453):483–484. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ratner L., Haseltine W., Patarca R., Livak K. J., Starcich B., Josephs S. F., Doran E. R., Rafalski J. A., Whitehorn E. A., Baumeister K. Complete nucleotide sequence of the AIDS virus, HTLV-III. Nature. 1985 Jan 24;313(6000):277–284. doi: 10.1038/313277a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rucheton M., Graafland H., Fanton H., Ursule L., Ferrier P., Larsen C. J. Presence of circulating antibodies against gag-gene MuLV proteins in patients with autoimmune connective tissue disorders. Virology. 1985 Jul 30;144(2):468–480. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(85)90287-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sarin P. S., Sun D. K., Thornton A. H., Naylor P. H., Goldstein A. L. Neutralization of HTLV-III/LAV replication by antiserum to thymosin alpha 1. Science. 1986 May 30;232(4754):1135–1137. doi: 10.1126/science.3010464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sarngadharan M. G., Popovic M., Bruch L., Schüpbach J., Gallo R. C. Antibodies reactive with human T-lymphotropic retroviruses (HTLV-III) in the serum of patients with AIDS. Science. 1984 May 4;224(4648):506–508. doi: 10.1126/science.6324345. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schulz T. F., Aschauer J. M., Hengster P., Larcher C., Wachter H., Fleckenstein B., Dierich M. P. Envelope gene-derived recombinant peptide in the serodiagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Lancet. 1986 Jul 12;2(8498):111–112. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)91648-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Suni J., Närvänen A., Wahlström T., Aho M., Pakkanen R., Vaheri A., Copeland T., Cohen M., Oroszlan S. Human placental syncytiotrophoblastic Mr 75,000 polypeptide defined by antibodies to a synthetic peptide based on a cloned human endogenous retroviral DNA sequence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Oct;81(19):6197–6201. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.19.6197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Suni J., Närvänen A., Wahlström T., Lehtovirta P., Vaheri A. Monoclonal antibody to human T-cell leukemia virus p19 defines polypeptide antigen in human choriocarcinoma cells and syncytiotrophoblasts of first-trimester placentas. Int J Cancer. 1984 Mar 15;33(3):293–298. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910330303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Suni J., Wahlström T., Vaheri A. Retrovirus p30-related antigen in human syncytiotrophoblasts and IgG antibodies in cord-blood sera. Int J Cancer. 1981 Nov 15;28(5):559–566. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910280505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Thorpe R., Bird C., Garrett A. J., Minor P. D., Schild G. C., Thomas D. P. False-positive immunoblot results with antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus. Lancet. 1986 Sep 13;2(8507):627–628. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)92449-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Tsang V. C., Peralta J. M., Simons A. R. Enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot techniques (EITB) for studying the specificities of antigens and antibodies separated by gel electrophoresis. Methods Enzymol. 1983;92:377–391. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(83)92032-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Varnier O. E., Melioli G., Merli A., Schito G. C., Tudor G., Boeri E., Molinari A. C., Mori P. G. Evidence for a 1980 HTLV-III infection in a currently asymptomatic B hemophiliac in Italy. JAMA. 1985 Sep 20;254(11):1449–1450. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. van der Poel C. L., Reesink H. W., Tersmette T., Lelie P. N., Huisman H., Miedema F. Blood donations reactive for HIV in Western blot, but non-infective in culture and recipients of blood. Lancet. 1986 Sep 27;2(8509):752–753. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)90273-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES