Comparison of the tissue distribution of reverse transcriptase, p30 and type-C virus in a gibbon ape with lymphocytic leukemia.

Tissues obtained at necropsy from a 7 year old male gibbon ape with malignant lymphoma and leukemia were analyzed by electron microscopic, immunological and enzymological techniques to determine the comparative localization of tumor cells and virus throughout the body. In general, the different assays correlated well; the reverse transcriptase (RT) assay and p30 radioimmunoassay (RIA) being the most sensitive, although the RT assay was able to detect activity in one tissue scored negative by p30 RIA. Tissues were infiltrated with tumor cells to varying degrees which correlated well with the level of virus markers in most cases with the exception of the liver and kidney. In these 2 organs there was marked infiltration of free virus and tumor cells but there was no evidence of virus infection or production by these cells.