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. 2021 Jun 24;95(14):e0001621.
doi: 10.1128/JVI.00016-21. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Ultrasensitive Detection of p24 in Plasma Samples from People with Primary and Chronic HIV-1 Infection

Affiliations

Ultrasensitive Detection of p24 in Plasma Samples from People with Primary and Chronic HIV-1 Infection

Caroline Passaes et al. J Virol. .

Abstract

HIV-1 Gag p24 has long been identified as an informative biomarker of HIV replication, disease progression, and therapeutic efficacy, but the lower sensitivity of immunoassays in comparison to molecular tests and the interference with antibodies in chronic HIV infection limit its application for clinical monitoring. The development of ultrasensitive protein detection technologies may help in overcoming these limitations. Here, we evaluated whether immune complex dissociation combined with ultrasensitive digital enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) single-molecule array (Simoa) technology could be used to quantify p24 in plasma samples from people with HIV-1 infection. We found that, among different immune complex dissociation methods, only acid-mediated dissociation was compatible with ultrasensitive p24 quantification by digital ELISA, strongly enhancing p24 detection at different stages of HIV-1 infection. We show that ultrasensitive p24 levels correlated positively with plasma HIV RNA and HIV DNA and negatively with CD4-positive (CD4+) T cells in the samples from people with primary and chronic HIV-1 infection. In addition, p24 levels also correlated with plasma D-dimers and interferon alpha (IFN-α) levels. p24 levels sharply decreased to undetectable levels after initiation of combined antiretroviral treatment (cART). However, we identified a group of people who, 48 weeks after cART initiation, had detectable p24 levels despite most having undetectable viral loads. These people had different virological and immunological baseline characteristics compared with people who had undetectable p24 after cART. These results demonstrate that ultrasensitive p24 analysis provides an efficient and robust means to monitor p24 antigen in plasma samples from people with HIV-1 infection, including during antiretroviral treatment, and may provide complementary information to other commonly used biomarkers. IMPORTANCE The introduction of combined antiretroviral treatment has transformed HIV-1 infection into a manageable condition. In this context, there is a need for additional biomarkers to monitor HIV-1 residual disease or the outcome of new interventions, such as in the case of HIV cure strategies. The p24 antigen has a long half-life outside viral particles, and it is, therefore, a very promising marker to monitor episodes of viral replication or transient activation of the viral reservoir. However, the formation of immune complexes with anti-p24 antibodies makes its quantification difficult beyond acute HIV-1 infection. We show here that, upon immune complex dissociation, new technologies allow the ultrasensitive p24 quantification in plasma samples throughout HIV-1 infection at levels close to those of viral RNA and DNA determinations. Our results further indicate that ultrasensitive p24 quantification may have added value when used in combination with other classic clinical biomarkers.

Keywords: ELISA; Gag p24; HIV p24 antigen; HIV/AIDS; Simoa; biomarker; plasma; plasma marker.

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Figures

FIG 1
FIG 1
Acid dissociation to disrupt antigen-antibodies immune-complexes is compatible with ultrasensitive p24 quantification. (A) Bars denote the average enzyme per beads (AEB) for 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.07, 0.24, 0.67, 2.39, and 13.17 pg/ml of p24 standards tested in different experimental conditions for immune complex dissociation as follows: nontreated, black; heat mediated, red; heat mediated with SDS and DTPA, orange; and acid dissociation with glycine-HCl, pH 1.8, blue, or pH 2.5, violet. (B) Four-parameter logistic regression curves obtained from different experimental conditions for immune complex dissociation as follows: nontreated, black; heat mediated, red; heat mediated with SDS and DTPA, orange; and acid dissociation with glycine-HCl, pH 1.8, blue, or pH 2.5, violet. (C) AEB values obtained for standard A (p24 = 0 pg/ml, negative control) (dark gray), standard A plus Triton X-100 2% (light gray), sample diluent manufactured by Quanterix (dark blue), PBS 1× (light blue), and the solution of 7 mM SDS plus 1.5 mM DTPA pH 7.2 (orange). Dashed line indicates the median value obtained for standard A condition. (D) AEB values obtained from plasma samples from HIV-1 negative donors nontreated (gray), after heat-mediated dissociation with SDS and DTPA (orange), and after acid dissociation with glycine-HCl pH 1.8 (green). Dashed line indicates the median value obtained for nontreated condition.
FIG 2
FIG 2
Sensitivity of ultrasensitive p24 quantification in plasma samples. (A) p24 signal in plasma samples of HIV-1-negative donors. Samples received acid dissociation treatment with glycine-HCl, pH 1.8. Median is indicated by black line. Dashed line denotes the cutoff value of 0.024 pg/ml calculated as 2.5 standard deviations from the mean of p24 signal in the plasma from HIV-negative donors. (B) p24 levels detected in plasma samples from HIV-1-infected individuals nontreated for immune complex dissociation (NT, open symbols) and after acid dissociation with glycine-HCl, pH 1.8 (ICD, green dots). (C) Relationship between positive p24 and HIV RNA in plasma samples from HIV-1-infected individuals. Correlation was calculated using a nonparametric Spearman test.
FIG 3
FIG 3
Ultrasensitive p24 detection in a cohort of acutely HIV-infected individuals. (A, Left) p24 levels in plasma samples from 92 individuals acutely infected with HIV-1 (ANRS PRIMO cohort). Acid dissociation with glycine-HCl, pH 1.8, was used to disrupt immune complexes. Samples below the limit of quantification were given an arbitrary value of 0.024 pg/ml based on the established cutoff. (A, Right) HIV RNA levels in plasma samples from the same 92 individuals acutely infected with HIV-1. Median is indicated by black line. (B to D) Relationship between p24 and HIV RNA (B) p24 and HIV DNA (C), and p24 and CD4+ T cell counts (D) in plasma samples from individuals acutely infected with HIV-1. Correlations were calculated using a nonparametric Spearman test.
FIG 4
FIG 4
Ultrasensitive p24 detection in a cohort of chronically HIV-infected individuals. (A, Left) p24 levels in plasma samples from 137 individuals chronically infected with HIV-1 (ANRS 12180 Reflate TB trial). Acid dissociation with glycine-HCl, pH 1.8, was used to disrupt immune complexes. Samples below the limit of quantification were given an arbitrary value of 0.024 pg/ml based on the established cutoff. (A, Right) HIV RNA levels in plasma samples from the same 137 individuals chronically infected with HIV-1. Median is indicated by black line. (B to D) Relationship between p24 and HIV RNA (B), p24 and HIV DNA (C), and p24 and CD4+ T cell counts (D) in plasma samples from individuals chronically infected with HIV-1. Correlations were calculated using a nonparametric Spearman test.
FIG 5
FIG 5
p24 levels in patients chronically infected with HIV prior to and after cART initiation. (A) p24 levels in plasma samples from 108 individuals chronically infected with HIV-1 (ANRS 12180 Reflate TB trial) prior to antiretroviral treatment initiation (W0) and longitudinally monitored at weeks 24 and 48 after cART. (B to D) Baseline (W0) differences between patients who presented detectable or undetectable p24 levels 48 weeks after cART initiation. (B) HIV RNA levels (left), p24 (middle), and the ratio HIV RNA/p24 (right); C) HIV DNA; D) CD4+ T cell counts. Median is indicated by black lines. **, P < 0.01; ****, P < 0.0001; ns, not significant.
FIG 6
FIG 6
Association of p24 levels and inflammation markers in patients chronically infected with HIV prior to and after cART initiation. (A) Relationship between p24 and D-dimers (left) and IFN-α (right) in plasma samples from 137 individuals chronically infected with HIV-1 (ANRS 12180 Reflate TB trial) prior to cART initiation (W0). Correlations were calculated using a nonparametric Spearman test. (B to D) Baseline (W0) differences between 108 patients who presented detectable or undetectable p24 levels 48 weeks after cART initiation. (B) IFN-α; (C) CRP; (D) D-dimers; (E) IL-6. Median is indicated by black lines. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01.

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