Detection of anti-Rev antibodies in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 patients using a recombinant 18kD Rev protein

The proteins Rev, Tat and Tev encoded by the regulatory rev, tat and tev genes of HIV-1 were expressed using a pUC12-based expression vector in Escherichia coli. The production of an immunologically-reactive 18kD Rev protein was confirmed by Western blotting using specific antibodies against the authentic protein. Further Western blot analysis using the recombinant Rev protein against 47 HIV-1 patient sera indicated specific antibody reactions in 31.6% (619) of asymptomatic carriers, in 41.7% (512) of AIDS-related complex patients and in 18.7% (316) of AIDS patients. The relatively lower incidence of anti-Rev antibodies in the AIDS group may be associated with HIV-1 induced immunodeficiency. The absence of circulating antibodies to Rev in over half of the HIV-1 sera tested renders the use of Rev as a diagnostic index unreliable, although useful information may still be obtained in prognostic studies of the Rev-positive patients. No definite reactions were observed between the same patient sera and Tat or Tev proteins which be may explained by the low expression levels of the proteins we obtained, together with the reportedly low antigenicity of the regulatory proteins.