Berberian L, Shukla J, Jefferis R, Braun J
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr (1988). 1994 Jul;7(7):641-6.
The abnormalities of B lymphocytes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection usually have been attributed to secondary consequences of disturbed immunoregulation. However, recent work has revealed avid binding of HIV gp120 to a conserved immunoglobulin motif unique to the VH3 gene family and the selective gp120-induced activation of VH3 B cells in vitro. This cross-sectional clinical study tests whether HIV infection is associated with a selective response of VH3 B cells in vivo. Levels of blood B cells and serum immunoglobulins (Ig) expressing the D12 idiotope of the VH3 gene family were measured in subjects of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study grouped according to clinical stages of HIV infection. A 3-fold elevation in D12 B cells was observed in HIV seropositive versus seronegative groups. This was selective for the D12 population, since total B cell numbers were identical in the two groups. The levels of D12 B cells and CD4 T cells were significantly correlated, and D12 B cells were markedly reduced in the AIDS group (4- and 10-fold, compared to the seronegative and seropositive groups). Analogous differences were also seen in the levels of serum anti-gp120 D12 Ig. This change in VH3 B cells among groups of HIV-infected individuals provides further evidence identifying gp120 as a VH3 B cell superantigen.
人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染中B淋巴细胞的异常通常被归因于免疫调节紊乱的继发后果。然而，最近的研究发现HIV gp120能与VH3基因家族特有的保守免疫球蛋白基序紧密结合，并能在体外选择性地诱导VH3 B细胞活化。这项横断面临床研究旨在检测HIV感染在体内是否与VH3 B细胞的选择性反应相关。在根据HIV感染临床阶段分组的多中心艾滋病队列研究受试者中，检测了表达VH3基因家族D12独特型的血液B细胞水平和血清免疫球蛋白（Ig）水平。与血清阴性组相比，HIV血清阳性组的D12 B细胞水平升高了3倍。这对D12群体具有选择性，因为两组的总B细胞数量相同。D12 B细胞水平与CD4 T细胞水平显著相关，且艾滋病组的D12 B细胞明显减少（与血清阴性组和血清阳性组相比，分别减少了4倍和10倍）。血清抗gp120 D12 Ig水平也存在类似差异。HIV感染个体组中VH3 B细胞的这种变化进一步证明gp120是一种VH3 B细胞超抗原。
