Anti-DFS70 among HIV-positive individuals - A prospective study

Anti-DFS70 is an anti-nuclear antibody directed against the DFS70 protein, which is produced in response to several stressful events. Since its discovery, this autoantigen-antibody complex has drawn the attention of many researchers, yet many questions remain unanswered. The DFS70 protein is crucial for HIV integration into the host DNA; however, the relationship between anti-DFS70 and HIV is unknown. A protective role of anti-DFS70 against HIV is possible due to the competition between the HIV integrase and the anti-DFS70 antibody on the same target site on DFS70. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of anti-DFS70 in HIV-positive individuals seeking for possible interrelation. A total of 100 HIV-positive individuals followed up at the HIV unit at Sheba Medical Center were tested for the detection of anti-DFS70. A total of 92 non-HIV subjects, randomly selected, were tested and compared as controls. Chemiluminescence assay by QUANTA Flash was performed to evaluate the presence of anti-DFS70 antibodies. None of the HIV-positive individuals had a positive test result for anti-DFS70 (0%) compared to 10 out of 92 non-HIV individuals (10.9%). This is the first study addressing the prevalence of anti-DFS70 in HIV-positive patients. The rate of anti-DFS70 positivity was found to be significantly lower in HIV-positive individuals than in non-HIV individuals (p = 0.002). The absence of anti-DFS70 in HIV-positive subjects might imply that individuals who lack these antibodies are more susceptible to HIV infection. Further studies with large populations are needed to confirm this hypothesis.