Prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus infections in Germany.

The extent of human T-cell lymphotropic retrovirus HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections in the general population in central Europe has not been investigated fully. Two hundred forty-eight thousand blood donors from southern Germany were examined serologically for antibodies to the human lymphotropic retroviruses HTLV-I and HTLV-II: 0.021% were confirmed positive and 0.

[A new variant of the simian T-lymphotropic retrovirus type I (STLV-IF) in the Sukhumi colony of hamadryas baboons].

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed for the detection of simian T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (STLV-1) infection of P. hamadryas and direct sequencing using oligo-nucleotide primer pairs specific for the tax and env regions of the related human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Excellent specificity was shown in the detection of STLV-1 provirus in infected baboons by PCR using HTLV-1-derived primers.

Production of human cloned antibodies specific for hepatitis D virus-encoded small and large protein.

Cloned antibodies to specific epitopes of hepatitis D virus were produced by transformation with Epstein-Barr virus and subsequent cloning of peripheral blood B lymphocytes from a patient with chronic hepatitis D virus infection. Several stable cloned B cell lines, derived from two parent cultures, produced hepatitis D-virus-specific IgG antibodies. Some cloned IgG antibodies detected hepatitis D virus-associated antigen in hepatitis D virus-infected woodchuck liver tissue sections by indirect immunofluorescence staining and some reacted in an inhibition ELISA test detecting hepatitis D virus antibodies; most cloned IgG lines detected hepatitis D antigen both in immunofluorescence tests and in inhibition ELISA.

The immune response to different doses of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine.

The immunogenicity and reactogenicity of different doses of hepatitis A vaccine was studied in healthy adult volunteers. Vaccinees (105) were immunized with 6.25, 12.

Principal neutralizing domain of HIV-1 is highly immunogenic when expressed on the surface of hepatitis B core particles.

The development of subunit vaccines against HIV requires the identification of immunologically relevant antigens and a suitable method of antigen delivery. Ideally, defined epitopes with neutralizing activity should be included in a vaccine preparation. The carrier for such peptide sequences should enhance the immunogenicity of the selected epitopes.