The final preparation of gag and gag/env proteins in 8 M urea reacted with sheep anti-HTLV-III p24 gag antibodies and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient sera.
A segment of the gag gene of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (HTLV-IIIB strain), the virus which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), has been cloned into the bacterial expression vector, pCQV2, and mapped to the right-hand portion of the gag gene containing the carboxyl-terminal portion of p24 and the amino-terminal portion of p15.
Patients with AIDS and disseminated CMV infection display the maximum activation of HIV p24 antigenaemia and the greatest deficiency of CD8+ T lymphocytes.
When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, who were all negative for in situ hybridization and serum/plasma p24 assays, were used for detection of viral gene expression, four categories with distinct patterns of induction were observed.
HIV-1 expression in the transgenic mouse spleen was activated 10- to 20-fold by LPS, and the serum p24 Gag protein levels reached 400 pg/ml, which is nearly equal to the levels that occur in AIDS patients.