Detection of IgA and IgM antibodies to HIV-1 in neonates by radioimmune western blotting.

OBJECTIVE--To detect infection with HIV-1 by IgA and IgM response at birth in children born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers. DESIGN--Western blotting and radioimmune western blotting on stored sera from infected and uninfected babies born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers. Sera were pretreated to remove IgG. SETTING--Parma and Bologna, Italy. SUBJECTS--12 infected and five uninfected babies born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers and three babies born to seronegative mothers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Effectiveness of western blotting and radioimmune western blotting in detecting antibodies to HIV-1 gene products. RESULTS--With conventional western blotting we found IgA class antibodies to HIV-1 proteins…