title: Humoral responses to the immunodominant gag and env epitopes of human T-lymphotropic virus type I among Melanesians.
abstract: The immune responsiveness to the immunodominant B-cell epitopes of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I), derived from the external envelope glycoprotein (recombinant MTA-1(162-209), synthetic Env-1(194-214), and Env-5(242-257)) and the gag-encoded matrix protein (Gag-1a(102-117)), was analyzed in 19 HTLV-I-seropositive and 51 HTLV I-seroindeterminate Melanesians from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The reactivities of seropositive Melanesian specimens to MTA-1 (100%), Env-5 (89%), and Gag-1a (79%) were similar to that seen with U.S. specimens, while reactivity to Env-1 was lower in Melanesian specimens (68%). Minimal reactivity was found to the env epitopes among the 51 HTLV-I-seroindeterminate Melanesians, but 29 (57%) reacted to Gag-1a. The failure to detect HTLV-I gag, pol, env, and tax gene sequences by polymerase chain reaction among the seroindeterminate Melanesians suggests that such reactivities to the Gag-1a epitope represent cross-reacting antibodies with closely related microbial or cellular proteins.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015485:Deltaretrovirus Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008542:Melanesia; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies; D015485:Deltaretrovirus Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010455:Peptides