Serologic Surveillance for Adeno-Associated Satellite Virus Antibody in Military Recruits

Abstract

Abstract A retrospective serologic survey for antibodies to adeno-associated satellite viruses was conducted on serum specimens collected from military recruits over a 7-year period. The results showed that 14% to 23% of the subjects possessed antibody titers of 16 or greater to any of the four satellite serotypes. Monotypic and heterotypic type 4 antibody seroconversions, which have been seldom seen in human but often in simian sera, occurred more frequently in men who received respiratory virus vaccines prepared in monkey kidney tissue cultures. It is speculated that such responses may have occurred from infections due to activation of latent defective viruses in these preparations or to antigenic components in the vaccines themselves. No definite relationship between these satellite viruses and disease was observed although there was a suggestion of an association between seroconversion to type 1 satellite virus in patients with the diagnosis of pneumonia. Sera from rubella patients showed significantly higher preexisting antibody titer to satellite virus types 1, 2 and 3 than did those of subjects with other illnesses. Only a few of the rubella cases showed seroconversion to the type 1 satellite virus.