title: Gamma irradiation of HIV-1.
abstract: The potential for transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 has created serious concern for the continued clinical use of bone and soft-tissue allografts. Tissue banks have employed 1.5-2.5 Mrad for sterilization of bone and tendon allografts, which, according to the current literature, approaches the level at which the tissue quality is adversely affected for implantation. Our working hypothesis was that gamma irradiation at increasing doses can proportionately inactivate HIV type 1. The objective of this study was to inactivate HIV type 1 by irradiation, as determined by its capacity to infect human T-lymphocytes and established cell lines in vitro. The replicative competence of HIV type 1 was also assessed by the presence of reverse transcriptase activity, enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assays for p24 viral core antigen, and the formation of syncytia induced by HIV type 1 in the cultures inoculated with irradiated virus. The results demonstrated the presence of active viral replication in previously noninfected cells in the supernatant samples that were exposed to as much as 5.0 Mrad. The data for the 10-Mrad sample were indeterminate due to cellular damage. These data suggest that gamma irradiation (1.5-2.5 Mrad) does not constitute a virucidal dose for HIV type 1. Current technologies for screening have greatly improved, and the surgeon should rely on tissue bank screening procedures and other methods of preparation rather than sterilization by gamma radiation techniques in choosing allograft material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic, Memphis 38163, USA. rsmith@utmem.edu
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ingels
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lochemes
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dutkowsky
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Pifer
mesh_terms: D018586:Bone Banks / Q000592:standards*; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000592:standards*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005720:Gamma Rays; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000201:enzymology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase