Lymphadenopathy-associated virus: from molecular biology to pathogenicity.

Recent data indicate that the lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) is morphologically similar to animal lentiviruses, such as equine infectious anemia and visna viruses. This finding, together with the cross-reactivity of the core proteins of LAV with those of the equine infectious anemia virus and a similarity in genome structure and biological properties, allows LAV to be placed in the retroviral subfamily of Lentivirinae. Molecular data indicate a high degree of genetic variation of the virus, especially in the envelope gene, which have important implications for the origin of the virus (the T4 lymphotropism may be a recently acquired property) and for future immunization. Another problem is the role of viral infection in the induction of irreversible immunodeficiency. This syndrome occurs in a minority of infected persons, who generally have in common a past of antigenic stimulation and of immune depression before LAV infection.