Antibodies R In Everyone
Everyone has blood and everyone has
antibodies in the blood. Testing for antibodies is like testing for
blood. Why do this? I mean, if there was a specific result, that
showed one certain antibody that might be helpful, but it doesn't.
Antibody testing shows an array of antibodies, much like when you turn on one
particular TV channel and see a multitude of images displayed, not just
one.
Here is an excellent
article from some top scientists who see through the HIV colored glasses to what
is really happening in regards to antibodies.
No Proof "HIV Antibodies" Are Caused By a
Retroviral Infection
Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos1
Valendar F Turner2
Barry AP Page1
John Papadimitriou3
David Causer1
Curry and his colleagues in their paper 'HIV antibody seroprevalence in the
emergency department at Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea' in the
August 2005 issue of this journal reported that 18% of 300 'opportunistic' serum
samples showed positive reactions with antigens present in 3/3 HIV test kits.1
From these data HIV infection in Papua New Guinea was depicted as 'an unfolding
disaster'– a conclusion requiring proof that the reactivity is due to a
retroviral infection HIV.
In order to perform an antibody test for HIV infection one must first obtain the
HIV antigens. That is, the proteins of a particle stated to be a unique and
taxonomically distinct Lentivirus of the family Retroviridae. However, the
particles that Montagnier and Gallo reported in their unpurified cell culture
supernatants were not a Lentivirus but other genuses. According to Montagnier,
credited as the discoverer of HIV, 'analysis of the proteins of the virus
demands mass production and purification'.2 In 1983 Montagnier and in 1984 Gallo
claimed to have purified HIV particles by banding culture supernatant in a
sucrose density gradient and to have proven the existence of both HIV proteins
and antibodies. However, first neither Montagnier nor Gallo published electron
micrographs of 'purified virus'; and second in 1997 Montagnier stated neither he
nor Gallo had evidence for HIV purification and that, despite a 'Roman effort',
his 'purified virus' did not even contain particles with 'the morphology typical
of retroviruses', much less purified retroviral particles.2 Instead, the
reaction between some proteins in the density gradient banded material
('purified virus'), and antibodies in AIDS patient sera, was considered proof
that both the proteins and antibodies were 'HIV'.
The fact that an antibody reacts with an antigen is not proof the antibody
arises in response to that antigen. All antibodies including monoclonal
antibodies may react ('cross-react') with non-immunizing antigens, and
immunologists accept that 'Cross-reactive antibodies may have higher affinity
with antigens other than the inducing antigen'.3 Therefore, patients may possess
antibodies that react with antigens to which they have neither been exposed, nor
with which they have been infected. Otherwise one would have to conclude that
patients with Ebstein–Barr virus infection are 'infected' with sheep and horse
erythrocytes; those with group A streptococcal or Treponema pallidum infections
are 'infected' with heart muscle proteins; and that blood group A individuals
are 'infected' with group B erythrocytes and vice versa.
Cross-reactions are more prevalent in individuals with increased levels of
immunoglobulins. High levels of antibodies are a feature of AIDS patients and
sick individuals in general. Positive antibody tests have been reported in
thousands of hospital patients at no risk of AIDS.4 Cross-reactivity is the
stated reason 'active measles infection' results in antibodies that react with
the 'HIV-specific'gag and pol gene antigens.5 There is also ample evidence that
antibodies directed against the mannans (carbohydrates) present in mycobacteria
and fungi, organisms responsible for 88% of AIDS diagnoses, cross-react with the
same antigens.6 Significantly, tuberculosis was highly prevalent in Curry's
patients. Leading HIV experts have stated that 'ELISA and WB [Western blot]
results should be interpreted with caution when screening individuals infected
with M. tuberculosis or other mycobacterial species', and warned that 'ELISA and
WB may not be sufficient for HIV diagnosis in AIDS-endemic areas of central
Africa where the prevalence of mycobacterial diseases is quite high'.7
The only way of proving that antibody reactivity is caused by a retroviral
infection is to compare the presence or absence of reactivity with the presence
or absence of the retrovirus. In other words, as with other tests used in
clinical practice, the test must be validated against a gold standard.8 In a
test for HIV infection, the gold standard can only be HIV itself, as proven by
HIV isolation. Yet, no such data have been reported – a fact acknowledged by
manufacturers of antibody tests: 'At present there is no recognized standard for
establishing the presence or absence of HIV-1 antibody in human blood'.9
Instead, specificity is determined using the clinical diagnosis of AIDS as a
gold standard. However, AIDS cannot be a substitute gold standard because: (i)
AIDS-indicator diseases are caused by agents other than HIV; (ii) the evidence
HIV experts present that HIV is the cause of AIDS is the reaction between the
antibodies in patient sera and the test kit antigens. To then claim AIDS proves
that the antibodies are HIV is a circular argument. Furthermore, if AIDS is a
gold standard for HIV infection, all seropositive individuals who do not have
AIDS, that is, the vast majority, must be false positives.
The World Health Organization as well as Curry et al. accept that patients are
HIV-infected, by virtue of reactivity in three test kits. However, concordant
test results do not identify antibodies any more than a pulmonary mass reveals
its pathology by its presence in a series of X-ray images. One should also note
that the testing algorithm used in this study by Curry et al. would not be used
to prove HIV infection in Europe, the USA, or Australia.
Curry and his colleagues' data might have affirmed the results of many other
studies. That is, patients with antibodies that react with their test kit
antigens are at increased risk of developing illnesses that include AIDS
indicator diseases. However, their data do not prove that the cause of the
reactivity or the diseases is a retrovirus.
Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos1
Valendar F Turner2
Barry AP Page1
John Papadimitriou3
David Causer1
References:
1. Curry C, Bunungam P, Annerud C, Babona D. HIV antibody seroprevalence in the
emergency department at Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea. Emerg.
Med. Australas 2005; 17: 359–62.
2. Tahi D. Did Luc Montagnier discover HIV? Text of video interview with
Professor Luc Montagnier at the Pasteur Institute July 18th 1997. Continuum
1998; 5: 30–4. Available from URL:
http://www.theperthgroup.com/CONTINUUM/djamelmontagnier.html[Accessed October
2005].
3. Berzofsky JA, Berkower IJ, Epstein SL. Antigen–antibody interactions and
monoclonal antibodies. In: Paul, WE (ed.). Fundamental Immunology, 3rd edn. New
York: Raven, 1993; 421–65.
4. St. Louis ME, Rauch KJ, Peterson LR, Anderson JE, Schable CA, Dondero TJ.
Seroprevalence rates of human immunodeficiency virus infection at sentinel
hospitals in the United States. N. Engl. J. Med. 1990; 323: 213–18.
5. Baskar PV, Collins GD, Dorsey-Cooper BA et al. Serum antibodies to HIV-1 are
produced post-measles virus infection: evidence for cross-reactivity with HLA.
Clin. Exp. Immunol. 1998; 111: 251–6.
6. Papadopulos-Eleopulos E, Turner VF, Papadimitriou JM, Causer D. HIV
antibodies: further questions and a plea for clarification. Curr. Med. Res.
Opin. 1997; 13: 627–34. Available from URL:
http://www.theperthgroup.com/SCIPAPERS/epcurmedres97.html[Accessed October
2005].
7. Kashala O, Marlink R, Ilunga M et al. Infection with human immunodeficiency
virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T cell lymphotropic viruses among leprosy
patients and contacts: correlation between HIV-1 cross-reactivity and antibodies
to lipoarabinomannan. J. Infect. Dis 1994; 169: 296–304.
8. Griner PF, Mayewski RJ, Mushlin AI. Selection and interpretation of
diagnostic tests and procedures. Ann. Int. Med. 1981; 94: 559–63.
9. Abbott Laboratories Diagnostics Division. 100 Abbott Park Rd. Abbott Park,
IL, USA. 1988, 1998. Packet Insert Axsym system (HIV-1/HIV-2). Available from
URL: http://aids-kritik.de/aids/diverses/abbott-hiv-test.htm[Accessed October
2005].
Emergency Medicine Australasia
Volume 18 Page 308 - June 2006
