Sero-Epidemiology of the Human T-Lymphotropic Retroviruses HTLV-I and HTLV-III in the Netherlands

Abstract

The family of retroviridae encompasses all viruses containing an RNA genome and an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) enzymic activity. Only three years ago the first human retroviruses have been identified. Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-I), the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL), has a type C morphology by electron microscopy, immortalizes T-cells in vitro resulting in continuous cell lines and is strongly cell associated (Table 1). A new human T lymphotropic retrovirus designated lymphadenopathy- associated virus (LAV) or human T lymphotropic retrovirus type III (HTLV-III) has been isolated initially from European patients with AIDS or at risk for AIDS and subsequently from large numbers of American patient with AIDS and at risk for AIDS as well. HTLV-III has a type D morphology by EM, is lytic to T-cells in vitro and is infectious in culture supernatants (Table 1).