AEGiS-11IAC: Mucosal antibody production in pig-tailed macaques following intrarectal infection by SIVMne.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Mucosal antibody production in pig-tailed macaques following intrarectal infection by SIVMne.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:5 (abstract no. We.A.143)
Kuller L, Thompson J, Morton WR, Agy MB; University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the early kinetics of anti-SIV antibody production in plasma and mucosa-lined compartments after transmucosal SIV infection in Macaca nemestrina.

METHODS: As a component of a larger study of five male-female juvenile pairs of M. nemestrina intrarectally infected by uncloned SIVMne, plasma and mucosa-lined cavities were sampled for SIV-specific antibodies. Specimens included tears, saliva, rectal and vaginal PBS washes collected at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after inoculation. Both total and SIV-specific IgG, and IgA, were measured by whole virus and immunoglobulin isotype specific ELISAs. In some samples, antibodies to specific SIV immunogens were identified by enhanced chemiluminescent (ECL) immunoblots. Time to expression of mucosa recovered antibodies to specific immunogens was compared to that of circulating plasma antibodies.

RESULTS: SIV specific antibodies were detected in most samples from all sites as early as 2 weeks p.i. Antibody levels increased with time in all sample types. Rectal washes contained higher levels of total IgA but IgG was the dominant isotype in vaginal washes. Interestingly, gag antibody response preceded responses to env in mucosal samples by 6-8 weeks. In contrast, antibodies to env appeared by 3 weeks in plasma samples. Continued studies will compare antibody expression in intravenously infected with transmucosally infected macaques.

CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary report we describe the kinetics of SIV antibody expression following infection by a transmucosal route in the pig-tailed macaque. We found distinct antibody responses to infection in plasma and mucosa-lined compartments in terms of time to response, dominant immunogen eliciting the response, immunoglobulin isotypes and site of antibody detection. Understanding the kinetics of antibody expression after infection may prove invaluable when evaluating host antibody responses to candidate vaccines.

Keywords: AEGIS, Macaca, SIV, Antibody Formation, Mucous Membrane, Macaca nemestrina, Immunoglobulin A, Immunoglobulin Isotypes, Immunoglobulin G, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Swine, Immunoblotting, Tail, Rectum, Animal, Female, Male, immunology, ICA11

960707
WeA143