Lung fluid immunoglobulin from HIV-infected subjects has impaired opsonic function against pneumococci

The incidence of pneumococcal pneumonia is greatly increased among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects, compared with among non-HIV-infected subjects. Lung fluid levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific for pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide are not reduced in HIV-infected subjects; therefore, we examined immunoglobulin subtypes and compared lung fluid IgG opsonic function in HIV-infected subjects with that in healthy subjects.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and serum samples were collected from 23 HIV-infected and 26 uninfected subjects. None of the subjects were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy, and none had received pneumococcal vaccination. Pneumococcal capsule-specific IgG levels in serum and BAL fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and IgG was concentrated from 40 mL of BAL fluid. Opsonization and opsonophagocytosis of pneumococci with serum, BAL fluid, and BAL IgG were compared between HIV-infected subjects and healthy subjects.

The effect of type 1 pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide-specific IgG in opsonizing of pneumococci was significantly less using both serum and BAL IgG from HIV-infected subjects, compared with serum and BAL IgG from healthy subjects (mean level, 8.9 fluorescence units [95% confidence interval, 8.1-9.7 fluorescence units] vs. 12.1 fluorescence units [95% confidence interval, 9.7-15.2 fluorescence units]; P=.002 for lung BAL IgG). The opsonophagocytosis of pneumococci observed using BAL IgG from HIV-infected subjects was significantly less than that observed using BAL IgG from healthy subjects (37 fluorescence units per ng of IgG [95% confidence interval, 25-53 fluorescence units per ng of IgG] vs. 127 fluorescence units per ng of IgG [95% confidence interval, 109-145 fluorescence units per ng of IgG]; P<.001).

HIV infection is associated with decreased antipneumococcal opsonic function in BAL fluid and serum.