Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1987. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
THE SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN AIDS
Animal Models of Retrovirus Infection and Their Relationship to AIDS. Salzman LA, ed. Orlando, Florida, Academic Press, p. 265-77, 1986.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/87629281 Montagnier L; Viral Oncology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
Abstract:
The discovery of the retrovirus considered to be the causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans has made it possible to detect specific humoral responses against viral antigens and, therefore, to study the seroepidemiology of viral infection. The AIDS virus was first named lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), since it was isolated from a patient (pt) with lymphadenopathy; it is known also as T leukemia or lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) or AIDS-related virus (ARV). The main structural proteins of LAV are all antigenic. Three proteins of LAV and HTLV-III have the same size: p13, p18, and p25; furthermore, both LAV and HTLV-III have the glycoprotein gp100. In two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, p25 proteins of LAV and HTLV-III show the same isoelectric point; in addition, their antigenicities are the same as determined by immunoprecipitation using a panel of pt sera. There is no detectable cross-reactivity between core major proteins of LAV and those of either HTLV-I or HTLV-II. There are two types of tests for detection of LAV antibodies: those that use native proteins and those that use denatured proteins. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been used to study a group of French AIDS and pre-AIDS pts, from whom a virus similar to LAV has been isolated. Except for one pt, all had antibodies against the p25 viral protein and were positive by ELISA; in this one pt, the serum was positive against the p18 protein and the glycoprotein. Results obtained in France and in the New York area show a high incidence of seropositivity in AIDS and pre-AIDS pts. A lower, but still high percentage of seropositivity was observed in asymptomatic homosexual groups. Similar studies were conducted in Zaire and in pts with Kaposi's sarcoma. From different studies, four situations were found in which antibodies can be detected against LAV: (1) healthy, asymptomatic carriers (they can donate their blood and propagate the virus by sexual contacts); (2) individuals in whom immune depression can be measured, but who have no clinical signs of the disease; (3) pts diagnosed with lymphadenopathy syndrome or AIDS-related complex (a minor proportion can later develop full-blown AIDS); and (4) pts with full-blown AIDS, Kaposi's sarcoma, or both. It is not known why some individuals develop disease while the others have only the benign form. (13 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*IMMUNOLOGY Antibodies, Viral/ISOLATION & PURIF Antigens, Viral/ANALYSIS AIDS-Related Complex/IMMUNOLOGY Cross Reactions Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel Female Human HIV/CLASSIFICATION/*IMMUNOLOGY HTLV-BLV Viruses/CLASSIFICATION/IMMUNOLOGY Male Retroviridae/IMMUNOLOGY Retroviridae Proteins/ANALYSIS/IMMUNOLOGY Sarcoma, Kaposi's/IMMUNOLOGY MONOGRAPH
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1987. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
