CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITY IN THE ANTI-V3 IGG RESPONSE OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE 1-INFECTED PERSONS IN A CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL-STUDY USING SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES

The principal neutralization domain (PND) of the V3 region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 is central to HIV pathogenesis. The IgG antibody response to PND was followed in 15 HIV-1-infected persons from southern Sweden over 2-5 years using 32 synthetic V3 peptides. Five peptides had amino acid sequences derived from isolates from each of 5 patients. Sera obtained simultaneously with isolate almost always reacted strongly with these cognate peptides; however, reactivity was undetectable in 1 patient's serum and short lived in the sera of another, indicating inducible holes in the antibody repertoire, which would facilitate dissemination of the corresponding virus strains. Reactivity to other V3 peptides correlated with sequence similarity to the cognate peptide. Strong, stable reactivity to peptides with sequences similar to a south Swedish V3-consensus was accompanied by transient activity to less similar ones. The latter may reflect viral variation, B lymphocyte clonal depletion, or both. Certain IgG responses appeared to preclude others, suggesting clonal dominance.