Interference of recombinant soluble CD4 immunoglobulin G in flow cytometric measurement of CD4+ lymphocytes.

Recombinant soluble CD4 covalently linked to an immunoglobulin G heavy chain (rCD4-IgG) was evaluated clinically for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The interference of rCD4-IgG with the measurement of peripheral blood CD4 lymphocytes by whole-blood lysis flow cytometric analysis was investigated using three commercial monoclonal antibody reagents. Addition of rCD4-IgG resulted in an artifactual decrease in measured CD4 number at rCD4-IgG levels of greater than or equal to 1 micrograms/mL; the threshold for this decrease was dependent on the concentration of monoclonal antibody in the commercial preparation used for the measurement of CD4. This artifactual decrease in CD4 cell count was observed in two patients who received rCD4-IgG intravenously. The apparent decrease in CD4 count was eliminated with the use of a single phosphate-buffered saline wash step before the addition of monoclonal antibody. rCD4-IgG can bind to anti-CD4 antibody and lower the measured CD4 cell count in vitro; this interference can be eliminated by a single or a double wash step and is necessary when using the whole-blood lysis flow cytometric technique of enumerating CD4 lymphocytes in patients receiving rCD4-immunoglobulin G.

Safety of and immunological response to a recombinant vaccinia virus vaccine expressing HIV envelope glycoprotein.

In a randomised phase I trial of a recombinant vaccina virus vaccine expressing the gp160 envelope gene of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIVAC-1e) 35 healthy, HIV-seronegative males, 31 of whom had a history of smallpox immunisation and 4 of whom were vaccinia naive, were vaccinated and then boosted 8 weeks later with HIVAC-1e or standard NY strain vaccinia virus. The frequency, duration, and titre of virus isolation from the vaccination site and occurrence of local side-effects were similar between the two groups of vaccinees. Vaccinia-naive (vac-n) subjects shed virus from the vaccination site for longer and at a higher titre than did vaccinia-primed (vac-p) individuals (19 vs 7 days and 10(7) vs 10(5) pfu/ml, respectively). In-vitro T-cell proliferative responses to one or more HIV antigen preparations developed in 13 of 16 vaccinia-primed subjects inoculated with HIVAC-1e. T-cell responses were, however, transient and in no subject did antibodies to HIV become detectable. The 2 vaccinia-naive subjects vaccinated with HIVAC-1e showed strong T-cell responses to homologous and heterologous strains of whole virus and to recombinant gp160 protein that remained detectable for over a year; antibodies to HIV envelope also developed in both. Recombinant vaccinia virus vaccines induce T-cell priming to the foreign gene products in most individuals. If used as the sole immunising agent they will be most efficacious in vaccinia-naive individuals.