Leakage of cellular enzyme during replication of oncogenic and nononcogenic adenoviruses.

Leakage of glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase was monitored as an indicator of cell damage during a 48-hour period in which maximum virus replication occurred. There was increased leakage of the enzyme from HEp-2 cells infected with highly oncogenic adenovirus type 12. Leakage from cells infected with adenovirus types 18 and 31 (highly oncogenic), types 3,7 and 14 (weakly oncogenic), and types 1, 2 and 5 (nononcogenic) was similar to that from uninfected HEp-2 cells, even after the appearance of advanced virus-induced cytopathology.