Type-specific antigens for serological discrimination of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection.
55 HTLV-I (human T-cell lymphotropic virus) and 45 HTLV-II carriers, confirmed by HTLV-type specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were distinguished by western blot assays with recombinant HTLV I or II envelope glycoproteins. Recombinant protein (RP) B1 contains aminoacids 166-201 from HTLV-I exterior glycoprotein gp46 and was reactive with HTLV-I samples only. RP-IIB, which contains aminoacids 96-235 from HTLV-II exterior glycoprotein gp52, was reactive with all HTLV-II samples. 39 patients (86.6%) had high reactivity by densitometry. Of 55 HTLV-I samples, 35 (65.5%) had antibody reactivity to RP-IIB, but only 1 (1.8%) had high reactivity by densitometry. RP B1 and IIB western blot assays may replace the PCR test in diagnosis of HTLV infection.
Chen
Y M
YM
Department of Cancer Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Lee
T H
TH
Wiktor
S Z
SZ
Shaw
G M
GM
Murphy
E L
EL
Blattner
W A
WA
Essex
M
M
D015153:Blotting, Western; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015487:HTLV-II Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D015486:HTLV-I Antigens; D015487:HTLV-II Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins