High Level of Anticholesterol Antibodies (ACHA) in HIV Patients. Normalization of Serum ACHA Concentration after Introduction of HAART

Perturbations in B cell responsiveness to CD4+T cell help in HIV-infected individuals

“…Hallmarks of B cell abnormalities in HIV disease include hypergammaglobulinemia (2)(3)(4), increased expression of activation markers (5), increased levels of autoantibodies (6,7), increased risk of developing B cell lymphomas (8), and decreased responsiveness to in vivo vaccination and ex vivo stimulation (9,10). The range of defects in B cell responses includes both T cell-dependent and -independent pathways (1,11,12), suggesting that along with defects in CD4 ϩ T cell help, HIV infection causes intrinsic B cell defects.…”

“…The range of defects in B cell responses includes both T cell-dependent and -independent pathways (1,11,12), suggesting that along with defects in CD4 ϩ T cell help, HIV infection causes intrinsic B cell defects. Recent studies have shown that the majority of these abnormalities are attributable to ongoing viral replication and are reversible by the suppression of plasma viremia with effective antiretroviral therapy (2,6,(13)(14)(15). In light of similar abnormalities described in the CD4 ϩ and CD8 ϩ T cell compartments of HIV-infected individuals (16)(17)(18), there is clear evidence that immune activation brought on by unchecked HIV-1 replication has widespread deleterious effects on the immune system.…”

HIV-1, lipid rafts, and antibodies to liposomes: implications for anti-viral-neutralizing antibodies (Review)

“…Interestingly, the titers of antibodies to cholesterol were markedly higher in the sera of HIV infected patients when compared to HIV seronegative controls (Horvath et al 2001, Fust et al 2005. Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) resulted in a significant and gradual drop in the anti-cholesterol antibody titers in parallel with a decrease in viral load and increase in CD4'/ cell counts (Horvath et al 2001). However, it is not clear at present whether the increased titers of antibodies to cholesterol were an epiphenomenon associated with HIV-1 infection, or whether the antibodies actually had some beneficial effects against HIV-1.…”

“…As noted earlier, cholesterol is highly immunogenic in mice when present in high concentrations in liposomes containing lipid A (Swartz et al 1988, Alving & Swartz 1991. Naturallyoccurring antibodies to cholesterol, both IgM and IgG, are present in sera from essentially 100% of humans , Alving & Wassef 1999, Horvath et al 2001, Fust et al 2005. Interestingly, the titers of antibodies to cholesterol were markedly higher in the sera of HIV infected patients when compared to HIV seronegative controls (Horvath et al 2001, Fust et al 2005.…”

“…Naturallyoccurring antibodies to cholesterol, both IgM and IgG, are present in sera from essentially 100% of humans , Alving & Wassef 1999, Horvath et al 2001, Fust et al 2005. Interestingly, the titers of antibodies to cholesterol were markedly higher in the sera of HIV infected patients when compared to HIV seronegative controls (Horvath et al 2001, Fust et al 2005. Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) resulted in a significant and gradual drop in the anti-cholesterol antibody titers in parallel with a decrease in viral load and increase in CD4'/ cell counts (Horvath et al 2001).…”