Figure 6
B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) is elevated before antibody production in acute HIV-1 infection, but is not elevated during acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. (a) Plasma panels from subjects with acute HBV infection (N=10 donors, 10–12 time points each, up to 50 days)) and acute HCV infection (N=10 donors, 7–15 time points each, up to 50 days) were measured for levels of BAFF. Data from one representative subject infected with each virus are shown. Sample time courses are aligned relative to the time when virus first reached detectable levels in plasma (200 DNA copies/ml for HBV (T200), 600 RNA copies/ml for HCV (T600)). (b) An elevation in plasma BAFF levels precedes the rise in anti-HIV immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA antibody levels during acute HIV-1 infection. (N=21 donors, 8–22 time points each up to 40 days post T0 were tested for BAFF; antibody levels were also detected in 9 of these; data from two representative subjects is shown). (c) Elevation in BAFF levels during the time of HIV-specific antibody elevations in mucosal samples. Longitudinal cervicovaginal lavage samples (N=5 patients) and seminal plasma (N=4 patients) were tested (data from two representative individuals is shown). Correlation between plasma (d) BAFF and (e) APRIL (a proliferation inducing ligand) levels with viral load (VL). Data from patient (outlier) are circled and when these points are removed, R=0.27, P=0.0032. OD, optical density.
