Inadequate Antibody Response in HIV Considered

Individuals with HIV have an inadequate antibody response as a result of deficiencies in the affinity maturation process of memory B cells, according to researchers at Yale University and the National Institutes of Health.

B cells produce antibodies in the immune system, however, they are not directly infected by HIV.

Patients suffering from chronic HIV show abnormalities in memory B cell populations, and rarely generate antibodies that can effectively target the virus.

During a study that was published in JCI Insight, researchers discovered that tissue-like memory cells (a population of memory B cells) were more abundant in the blood of HIV patients than conventional memory B cells.

Tissue-like memory B cells are known to have a low frequency of somatic hypermutation, as well as low HIV neutralizing capacity of monoclonal antibodies from these B cells.

The data from the study gives insight on HIV dependent immune dysfunction.