301. Isolation of HTLV III/LAV from drug addicts in Palermo.
- Author
-
Romano N, Portera M, Vitale F, Russo Alesi D, Torregrossa MV, and Perrera G
- Subjects
- Female, Humans, Male, Risk, Sicily, Substance-Related Disorders complications, AIDS-Related Complex microbiology, HIV isolation & purification, Lymphocytes microbiology
- Abstract
The new human retroviruses HTLV III/LAV, implicated as the causative agent of AIDS, have been isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 5 of 13 drugs abusers with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex (ARC). In one patient the virus was also found in cell-free plasma. No HTLV III/LAV was detected in or isolated from 5 clinically healthy drug abusers. The lymphocytes were cultured with interleukin 2 and expressed either a transcriptase reverse activity or HTLV III/LAV antigens within 2-3 weeks of cultivation. The viruses were also transmitted into normal lymphocytes from cord blood of human newborns. At the present state of development, virological investigation, other than seroepidemiological survey, seems a suitable marker for human retroviruses tracing in epidemiological studies.
- Published
- 1987