Antibodies to primate retrovirus antigens in circulating immune complexes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
Circulating immune complexes were isolated from sera of 8 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in relapse, and 20 healthy blood donors. F(ab')2 fragments were prepared from the isolated complexes. Using a radioimmunoassay (RIA), these F(ab')2 fragments, the undigested complexes and the original sera were examined for the presence of antibodies against a panel of primate retrovirus antigens: gp70, p15 and p30 of gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) and baboon endogenous virus (BaEV). F(ab')2 fragments derived from the immune complexes of all patients reacted with one or more of the antigens tested, whereas no antibody activity was found in the sera or undigested immune complexes of the same patients. By a competitive RIA, antigens related to GaLV and/or BaEV were found in the serum of 7 out of 8 patients. No markers of these retroviruses were detected in the F(ab')2 preparations, in immune complexes or in sera of any of the 20 control subjects. Our results indicate that a part of the circulating immune complexes in AML contain antigens related to primate retroviruses and specific antibodies to these antigens.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006922:Hylobates / Q000382:microbiology; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000276:immunology*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010215:Papio / Q000382:microbiology; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000956:Antigens, Viral