Publication Date:
1985-03-01
Description:
Fifty of 75 serum samples collected in the West Nile district of Uganda between August 1972 and July 1973 contained antibodies reactive with human T-cell leukemia (lymphotropic) virus type 3 (HTLV-III; mean titer, 601), while 12 of 75 samples were positive in a similar test for HTLV type 1 (HTLV-1) antibodies (mean titer, 236). The samples were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and positive results were confirmed by a newly developed unlabeled antibody-peroxidase procedure with enhanced sensitivity for detection of antibody binding to immunoblots of HTLV-III antigen, demonstrating antibodies to proteins with molecular weights of 24,000, 41,000, and 76,000 in nearly all positive samples. Analysis of titration data indicated enhanced titers of antibody against HTLV-III and HTLV-I when coinfection occurred. The high prevalence and relatively low titers [compared to serum from patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)] of antibodies recognizing HTLV-III proteins in sera from this population at a time that may predate or coincide with the appearance or spread of the AIDS agent (HTLV-III) suggest that the virus detected may have been a predecessor of HTLV-III or is HTLV-III itself but existing in a population acclimated to its presence. It further suggests an African origin of HTLV-III.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Saxinger, W C -- Levine, P H -- Dean, A G -- de The, G -- Lange-Wantzin, G -- Moghissi, J -- Laurent, F -- Hoh, M -- Sarngadharan, M G -- Gallo, R C -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1985 Mar 1;227(4690):1036-8.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2983417" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/immunology/microbiology
;
Antibodies, Viral/immunology
;
Antigens, Viral/immunology
;
Burkitt Lymphoma/immunology/microbiology
;
Child
;
Deltaretrovirus/immunology
;
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Retroviridae Infections/*epidemiology/immunology/microbiology
;
Uganda
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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