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Isolation, characterization, and transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II in culture

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Abstract

Highly sensitive coculture methods were developed both for isolation of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-1 and HTLV-II) from infected individuals and for productive infection of lymphoid cells. Mitogen-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 13 HTLV-I- and 20 HTLV-II-positive specimens were cocultured with an equal number of mitogen-activated PBMC from HTLV-seronegative individuals, and culture supernatants were tested for the presence of soluble p24gag antigens at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. Eleven of 13 (85%) HTLV-I and 14 of 20 (70%) HTLV-II cultures were positive for p24 antigens. None of the 17 HTLV-seroindeterminate or six HTLV-seronegative specimens were positive for the presence of p24 antigen. The isolation rates for HTLV-I and HTLV-II by an alternative whole-blood lysis procedure were comparable to those obtained by standard PBMC cultures. Furthermore, cocultivation of PHA-stimulated PBMC from healthy donors with lethally irradiated HTLV-I- and HTLV-II-infected cell lines (SP and Mo-T, respectively) resulted in productive viral infection, as reflected by the appearance of p24gag antigens concomitant with specific genomic amplification of HTLV proviral DNA after 3 weeks of cocultivation. Thus, the cocultivation technique provides a highly sensitive and specific procedure both for HTLV isolation and for infection of target cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Retrovirus Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mail stop G19, 30333, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Katsuhiko Kitamura, Donna L. Rudolph, Thomas M. Folks & Renu B. Lal Ph.D.

  2. Molecular Pathogenesis and Ultrastructural Activity, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Cynthia Goldsmith

Authors
  1. Katsuhiko Kitamura
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  2. Donna L. Rudolph
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  3. Cynthia Goldsmith
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  4. Thomas M. Folks
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  5. Renu B. Lal Ph.D.
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Kitamura, K., Rudolph, D.L., Goldsmith, C. et al. Isolation, characterization, and transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II in culture. Current Microbiology 27, 355–360 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568960

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