       Document 0430
 DOCN  M9630430
 TI    Detection of antibodies to trans-activator protein (p40taxI) of human
       T-cell lymphotropic virus type I by a synthetic peptide-based assay.
 DT    9603
 AU    Rudolph DL; Coligan JE; Lal RB; Retrovirus Diseases Branch, Centers for
       Disease Control, Atlanta,; Georgia 30333, USA.
 SO    Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 1994 Mar;1(2):176-81. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/96050802
 AB    Antibodies to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)
       trans-activator protein (p40taxI) were determined in serum specimens
       from individuals infected with HTLV-I (n = 138) and HTLV-II (n = 19).
       Western blot (immunoblot) analysis using recombinant tax demonstrated
       the presence of anti-tax antibodies in 96% of patients (25 of 26) with
       HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, 43% of those (20 of 46) with adult T-cell
       leukemia, and 61% of asymptomatic HTLV-I blood donors (40 of 66); only
       one of the HTLV-II specimens reacted with the recombinant tax protein.
       Synthetic peptides (Tax8(106-125), Tax22(316-335), Tax-23(331-350), and
       Tax-24(336-353) representing the immunodominant epitopes of} p40taxI
       detected anti-tax antibodies in 66 (48%), 50 (36%), 66 (48%), and 64
       (46%) of 138 HTLV-I-positive specimens, respectively. An enzyme
       immunoassay using an equimolar ratio of these four peptides allowed
       sensitive detection of anti-tax antibodies in 96% of patients (25 of 26)
       with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy, 52% of adult T-cell leukemia patients
       (24 of 46), and 62% of asymptomatic HTLV-1-infected donors (41 of 66).
       The synthetic peptide-based cocktail assay was HTLV-I specific, since
       none of the HTLV-II-infected specimens reacted with these peptides.
       Interestingly, the corresponding regions from the HTLV-II tax protein,
       Tax8II(106-125), and Tax-22II(312-331) did not react with either HTLV-II
       or HTLV-I specimens. Thus, a synthetic peptide-based assay composed of
       immunodominant epitopes located towards the amino terminus and the C
       terminus of p40taxI provides a reliable and sensitive assay for the
       detection of anti-tax antibodies in seroepidemiologic studies.
 DE    Amino Acid Sequence  Gene Products, tax/GENETICS/*IMMUNOLOGY  Human
       HTLV-I Antibodies/*BLOOD  HTLV-I Infections/IMMUNOLOGY/VIROLOGY
       Immunodominant Epitopes  Immunoenzyme Techniques  Molecular Sequence
       Data  Peptides/CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS/GENETICS/*IMMUNOLOGY  Recombinant
       Proteins/*IMMUNOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

