A collaborative study of sera from men in New York City with AIDS and at risk for AIDS, by investigators in Omaha, Cambridge and Kyoto, has failed to identify antibodies to human T cell leukemia virus I (HTLV-I).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of AIDS-associated retrovirus and antibodies among male homosexuals at risk for AIDS in Greenwich Village.

LAV/HTLV-III has been closely linked to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We have studied and correlated the prevalence of AIDS-associated retrovirus and retroviral antibodies in several groups of male homosexuals from Greenwich Village. Retrovirus was detected in cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes by testing for reverse transcriptase (RT) and confirmed by establishment of virus-producer cell lines, and electron microscopy. Seventy-six percent of patients with AIDS, 93% with AIDS-related complex (ARC), 69% with generalized lymphadenopathy (LAS), and 35% of asymptomatic homosexuals were positive for virus in the RT assay. Transmission of the virus from RT-positive lymphocytes into the CEM cell line was successful in 10 of 11 randomly chosen cases. No virus isolates were obtained from lymphocytes of 8 heterosexual individuals. Serum antibodies against AIDS-associated virus were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay and confirmed by Western blotting, using an LAV/HTLV-III-producer cell line, LAV-N1, which we established. LAV/N1 virus was purified by ultracentrifugation through sucrose gradient and the pattern of its proteins was determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis and Western blotting using sera from an AIDS patient. The major polypeptides of LAV/HTLV-III (19, 25-27, 32, 42 and 54 kilodalton) were present. These proteins did not react in Western blots with sera positive for Adult T cell leukemia virus (ATLV). thus, LAV-N1 and ATLV were not antigenically related. In our assay for LAV/HTLV-III antibodies, 18 (100%) of patients with AIDS, 13 (100%) of patients with ARC, 24 (69%) of 35 patients with LAS and 9 (39%) of 23 asymptomatic homosexuals were sero-positive. Heterosexual controls were negative. All IF-positive sera tested by Western blot contained antibodies against specific viral proteins. High titers (greater than or equal to 1:1280) of serum antibodies against LAV/HTLV-III virus were detected in 71% of AIDS patients, 62% with ARC, 38% LAS and 13% among asymptomatic homosexuals. Our data show that the presence of LAV/HTLV-III antibodies correlates with the presence of infectious virus. Antibody titers may also correlate with progression toward AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Epstein-Barr virus and chronic lymphadenomegaly in male homosexuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Male homosexuals at risk for developing AIDS frequently exhibit chronic lymphadenomegaly (LAD). They are at high risk for developing malignant B cell lymphomas. A study of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) revealed marked abnormalities in these patients. One hundred percent of the patients were seropositive. The patients with most severe acquired immune deficiency disorders manifested a decreased number of circulating B cells with EBV receptors and decreased lymphocyte transformation. Patients often showed defective memory T cell cytotoxic responses to autologous EBV infection in vitro. Three of five lymph node specimens contain significant EBV genome copies to suggest a significant etiologic role. In addition, a Burkitt-like lymphoma carried EBV genome. Although all of the men were seropositive for EBV, reactivation patterns were not as common as anticipated. Given the presence of EBV genome in the lymph nodes of the patients who lack anti-early antigen (EA) antibodies indicative of reactivation, we suggest that reliance on serology to indicate EBV involvement is insufficient for assessing the patient. The detection of a t(8;14) transposition in the monoclonal mu kappa Burkitt-like lymphoma containing EBV genome supports the view that cytogenetic transposition is a mechanism in lymphomagenesis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fatal Epstein-Barr virus disease in a Laotian refugee.

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Adolescent↗

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Variable presence of circulating cytokines in patients with sporadic or X-linked lymphoproliferative disease with fatal infectious mononucleosis.

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Biomarkers↗

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The X-linked lymphoproliferative disease: from autopsy toward cloning the gene 1975-1990.

Although X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) is rare (1-2 males per 1 x 10(6)), it serves as a model for discerning diverse diseases caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) ranging from agammaglobulinemia to fatal infectious mononucleosis following infection with the virus. The study of patients with XLP has also paved the way to understanding how EBV induce diseases in children with primary immunodeficiency diseases, organ transplant recipients, and those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. This review is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Vawter, M.D., who generously provided insights into the causes of pathogenesis of immune deficiency and lymphoproliferative disorders.

Autopsy↗