Abstract

ESCALONA, LA; WARNER, NA; CHAIYARIT, P  and  GREGORY, RL. Salivary IgA antibodies to gp120 from HIV+ and HIV- patients.. Acta odontol. venez [online]. 2004, vol.42, n.2, pp.90-96. ISSN 0001-6365.

The production of immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is one of the mechanisms through which the humoral immune system protects the mucosal surfaces. Studies on HIV+ individuals have shown binding of IgA to HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, gp120 and gp41. Objective: The purpose of this work was to detect levels of salivary IgA antibodies against fifty 20-mer overlapping peptides representing the HIV-1 gp120 envelope protein. Methods: Using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay, whole unstimulated saliva from 24 subjects was used and divided in three groups: 9 HIV+CD4>200 mm³; 10 HIV+CD4<200 mm³ y 5 HIV-. The peptides used covered the 510 aminoacids from HIV-1 gp120 envelope. Results: The levels of IgA in unstimulated whole saliva were significantly higher in the HIV+ patients than in the HIV- subjects (p=0.0001). There were no significant differences found between the CD4>200 cell/mm³ HIV+ group compared to the CD4<200 cell/mm³ HIV+ group. There were no significant correlation between the IgA levels and the CD4 counts. The peptides corresponding to the regions C1,V2 y C3 had a larger number of high responders from the HIV+ group. Conclusions: The levels of IgA observed in this study did not present variation related with decrease of CD4 cell counts and the peptides with higher responses of IgA antibodies were directed toward peptides representing the regions with less variability on the viral  glycoproteins envelope.

Keywords : HIV-1; HIV envelope gp120; HIV antibodies; saliva IgA.