Virus-neutralizing activity, serologic heterogeneity, and retrovirus isolation from homosexual men in the Los Angeles area

Abstract

Human retroviruses have been causally associated with the development of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in groups of individuals at high risk including intravenous drug users, hemophiliacs, and homosexual men. Aside from classic AIDS, homosexual men also develop persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL) which is considered a part of the AIDS-related complex (ARC). We have isolated 70 strains of retroviruses related to human T-lymphotropic viruses type III (HTLV-III) from patients with PGL, AIDS, or ARC. Analyses of sera from these patients indicated a high degree of serologic heterogeneity in the antibody titers and their reactivities toward various HTLV-III viral proteins. In addition, we have detected virus-neutralizing antibodies in approximately 50% of the serum samples tested from patients with PGL or AIDS. This is the first comprehensive virologic and serologic report on more than 100 patients studied at one institution in Los Angeles.