title: Etiology of AIDS: biological and biochemical characteristics of HTLV-III.
abstract: The newly identified human HTLV-III virus, the etiologic agent for AIDS, shares many of the biological and physicochemical properties common to a family of retroviruses named human T-cell leukemia (lymphotropic) viruses, or HTLV. Because of the similarities, and because of the uniform nomenclature for human T-cell leukemia (lymphotropic) viruses adopted at the first Cold Spring Harbor Meeting on HTLV (19, 79), this newly discovered virus associated with AIDS as HTLV-III was named HTLV-III. Other investigators making independent isolations of virus have suggested naming the virus lymphadenopathy virus or LAV (3, 16), immunodeficiency associated virus or IADV (48), AIDS-related virus (41). Immunological and nucleic acid comparison has now demonstrated that these viruses are, not surprisingly, very similar to HTLV-III (55, 63, 78). In view of the wide range of disease manifestations caused by the virus, and previous discussions concerning a uniform nomenclature for human T-lymphotropic retroviruses, it would seem ill-advised to restrict the name of this virus to one clinical manifestation of one disease. The frequent isolation of HTLV-III from patients with AIDS and ARC, the detection of antibodies specific for HTLV-III in nearly all patients with these diseases and in a high proportion of individuals at risk, and finally its effect on cells in vitro, leaves little doubt that HTLV-III is causatively involved in the development of these diseases. This etiologic association is further strengthened by the detection of HTLV-III infection in many instances where a direct cause-and-effect association can be made, e.g., hemophiliacs and children with AIDS, and blood from HTLV-III infected donors and the otherwise normal recipients of this blood who subsequently develop AIDS.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011323:Primates / Q000382:microbiology; D013577:Syndrome; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins