title: HTLV-1 infection in Papua New Guinea: evidence for serologic false positivity.
abstract: Serum samples from 557 individuals participating in studies from four separate lowland and highland populations in Papua New Guinea exhibited consistently false-positive results for human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type 1 (10%) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (5%) antibody in direct antiglobulin and agglutination assays. All serum samples were negative in competitive ELISAs and radioimmunoassays for HTLV-1 and HIV-1; selected samples of reactive sera were negative in an HTLV-2 competitive ELISA. Immunofluorescent antibody tests using HTLV-1 infected cells correlated poorly with ELISA results. None of the sera from Papua New Guinea neutralized vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotypes of HTLV-1. By Western blot analysis, only three serum samples were weakly reactive to HTLV-1 gag proteins. These studies suggest there is as yet no firm evidence of HTLV-1, HTLV-2, or HIV-1 infection in Papua New Guinea, although there may be a low prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Chester Beatty Laboratories, Department of Virology, St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Banatvala
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clayden
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: McAdam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moulsdale
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tosswill
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dilger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amann
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies