Detection of natural autoantibodies in the serum of anti-HIV-positive individuals.

Twenty-six sera containing anti-HIV antibodies from individuals with AIDS, AIDS-related complex, lymphadenopathy syndrome, or from seropositive individuals without clinical symptoms, were tested for the presence of natural autoantibodies (NAb) to actin, DNA, tubulin, thyroglobulin, albumin, myosin and TNP-BSA. Sera from 22 seronegative individuals at high risk for HIV infection were also examined. NAb titres to all these antigens were found to be elevated in both groups as compared to the titres in pooled normal human sera. The most prevalent NAb were those of the IgG class directed against TNP found in high titre in seropositive individuals. On the basis of the above results, sera from 50 anti-HIV-positive and 67 anti-HIV-negative individuals were tested for IgG antibody activity against a panel of protein antigens with different degrees of TNP substitution. The greater the TNP substitution, the higher the titres of IgG antibodies detected in anti-HIV-positive sera. Antibody titres in seronegative individuals at high risk for HIV infection were independent of the degree of TNP substitution. In almost all cases, the highest titres of IgG anti-TNP antibodies were found in anti-HIV-positive sera from individuals with clinical manifestations.