Immunological properties of HTLV-III antigens recognized by sera of patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex and of asymptomatic carriers of HTLV-III infection.

A high correlation was found among antibodies to human T-cell leukemia virus type III (HTLV-III), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex. With the Western blot technique the antigens (shown as proteins with molecular weights given in thousands) in HTLV-III lysates recognized by positive sera have been identified as p120, p66, p51, p41, p31, p24, and p17. The most common reactivity was toward p41. Lectin fractionation identified p120 and p41 as glycoproteins. Studies using mouse monoclonal antibodies to the p24 proteins of HTLV-I, -II, and -III showed that HTLV-I and -II have common epitopes in p24 molecule, but these are not the cross-reactive epitopes present on HTLV-III p24.