Transmission of HTLV‐I to rabbits via semen and breast milk from seropositive healthy persons

Abstract

Four rabbits inoculated intravenously with milk cells from 4 post-partum women seropositive for human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) and one rabbit inoculated with semen cells from a seropositive healthy man seroconverted for HTLV-I after 3-5 weeks but no seroconversion occurred in 2 rabbits inoculated with milk cells from a seronegative mother or with heated (56 degrees C, 30 min) milk cells from a seropositive mother. Attempts were made to isolate HTLV-I from peripheral blood lymphocytes harvested 5-15 weeks after cell inoculation and cultured in the presence of interleukin-2. An HTLV-I-carrying lymphoid cell line of rabbit origin was established from a rabbit inoculated with milk cells. Another long-term culture, derived from a rabbit inoculated with semen cells, also expressed HTLV-I antigens and harbored virus particles. Furthermore, transfusion of 20 ml of blood from all 5 seroconverted rabbits, but not from the 2 seronegative ones, caused seroconversion in normal recipient rabbits after 4-6 weeks.

Evaluación serológica y virológica de la infección del virus linfotrópico humano 1 en grupos familiares de Tumaco, Colombia

“…Transmission of HTLV-1 within families has been documented in different epidemiological studies carried out in several endemic areas around the world (41)(42)(43). However, the study reported here is the first in Colombia to follow up HTLV-1 infection dynamics in family clusters using immunological, virological and molecular markers.…”

Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans

“…Inoculation of rabbits with cell-free concentrated HTLV-I virions 1ed to only a transient seroconversion, without detectable virus remaining after a few months (Miyoshi, 1994). Experimental transmission of HTL V -1 by b100d transfusion and from mother to offspring has also been observed in rabbits (Uemura et aL., 1986;Iwahara et al, 1990); as little as 0.01 mL of infected blood (corresponding to 1.7 x 104 lymphocytes) was capable of transmitting the virus. Hori et al (1995) have demonstrated intrauterine transmission of HTL V -1 in rats, a1beit at a 10w rate.…”

“…HTL V -1 infection of rabbits or marmosets has been effected by intravenous or oral inoculation of HTL V -I-transformed and virus-producing cells (Kinoshita et al, 1985a;Yamanouchi et al, 1985;Uemura et al, 1986;Iwahara et al, 1990). Inoculation of rabbits with cell-free concentrated HTLV-I virions 1ed to only a transient seroconversion, without detectable virus remaining after a few months (Miyoshi, 1994).…”

“…Passive immunization has been shown to be effective in rabbits: hyperimmune IgG prepared from seropositive healthy persons given 24 h before transfusion with infected bIood appeared to protect the recipient rabbit from infection (Takehara et al, 1989;Kataoka et al, 1990). protection against a cell-associated HTL V -1 challenge in non-human primates (Shida et al, 1987) and rabbits .…”

“…PCR allows the direct detection of pro viral DNA sequences of HTLV-I or HTLV-II in cellular DNA (Ehrlich et al, 1990), which is usually obtained from peripheral bIood mononuclear celIs (PBMCs) found not only in bIood but aIso in semen, breast miIk and other body fluids (Iwahara et al, 1990). Primer pairs specific for HTLV-I and/or HTLV-II have been 270 IARC MONOGRAPHS VOLUME 67 deve10ped from the pol and tax regions (Ehrlich et aL., 1990).…”