Immunological responses to envelope glycoprotein 120 from subtypes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

The outer envelope glycoprotein (gp120) from subtypes A-E of HIV-1 was purified using a specific high mannose-binding lectin, Galanthus nivalis agglutinin. All isolates were grown in peripheral blood lymphocyte cells in order to avoid selection in cell lines. A comparison of the reactivities of the envelope proteins was made using sera from patients infected with the different subtypes. In this study, the B and C subtype envelope glycoproteins showed the strongest immunological reactivity, when reacted with sera from patients infected with the same subtype of virus. On the other hand, sera of patients infected with subtype A or C virus had the strongest and broadest reactivities, to envelope glycoproteins of many subtypes. The purified gp120 proteins from all five subtypes stimulated mononuclear cells from HIV-1 (subtype B)-infected patients, indicating conserved T cell-activating epitopes. The immunological reactivities indicate that strong antigenicity does not always predict the broadest immunogenicity of an envelope glycoprotein. Glycoprotein 120 from foreign subtypes may serve to induce strong cross-reactive immune responses.