Figure 6

Plasma IgG binding antibody levels to purified subtype C gp120 protein is also reduced in superinfected individuals. Purified gp120 protein from the Zambian subtype C seroconverter ZM205F [23, 29] was used with serial dilutions of plasma in a gp120 binding ELISA. Autologous plasma from ZM205F was used as a positive control for presence of gp120-specific binding antibodies (blue). Levels of gp120-specific IgG binding antibodies in plasma from time points prior to superinfection for superinfected individuals (ZM282M: red, ZM211F: orange) and similar plasma time points for non-superinfected controls (grey) was measured as shown in panel A. For ZM247F, in which superinfection was detected at 3-months post-seroconversion, we tested this 3-month plasma (green). Values for 50% gp120 binding in this assay were determined and compared between superinfected and non-superinfected groups (B) using both a mixed-linear effects model (p = 0.115) and a Mann–Whitney test to compare medians between the groups (p = 0.161).