Cervicovaginal anti-HIV antibodies in index women from HIV-discordant, exclusively heterosexual, couples.

Cervicovaginal IgA and IgG anti-gp160 antibodies were evaluated in cervicovaginal secretions from twelve HIV-discordant heterosexual couples, matched with twelve HIV-concordant heterosexual couples, at similar stage of HIV disease. The mean reciprocal end-point titers of cervicovaginal IgA or IgG to gp160 were similar in cases and in controls. These observations suggest that cervicovaginal antibodies to HIV do not appear as biological indicators sufficiently relevant to explain a possible reduced infectivity of the female index case in HIV-discordant couples, by comparison with HIV-concordant couples.