ANTIBODIES TO HUMAN T-CELL LEUKEMIA VIRUS (HTLV) IN CHILDREN WITH ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS):

Six children previously documented with AIDS and seven age matched controls from a similar socio-economic environment were studied for the presence of antibodies (Ab) to HTLV. Additionally, 5 adult AIDS cases and 13 similarly matched adult controls were also examined for HTLV Ab. All determinations were done blindly by two assay systems: indirect membrane immunofluorescence (IF) using HTLV infected HUT-102 cells and Ab to structural proteins of HTLV by a radioimmune precipitation assay (RIP). All 6 pediatric AIDS cases were positive for IF-Ab while negative for RIP-Ab. In contrast, 6 of 7 pediatric controls were negative for IF-Ab and all 7 negative for RIP-Ab. The IF-Ab positive control child was only weakly positive. All pediatric AIDS cases had non-specific Ab directed against infected HUT-102 cells which required absorption. None of the pediatric controls had this non-specific Ab. All 5 adult AIDS patients were positive for IF-Ab while 2 were also positive for RIP-Ab. Two of 13 adult controls were weakly positive for IF-Ab and all negative for RIP-Ab. This data supports the concept that an HTLV-like virus is important in the etiology of AIDS.