Sensitive assay for neutralizing antibodies against AIDS-related viruses (HTLV-III/LAV)

A sensitive assay for neutralizing antibodies (NA) against AIDS-related viruses (HTLV-III and LAV) was developed, using human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I)-bearing and HTLV-III-susceptible MT-4 cells. NA to HTLV-III in 21 patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), 10 individuals with AIDS-related complex (ARC), 20 healthy male homosexuals, and 10 healthy male controls were titrated. Antibodies to HTLV-III were also detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IF). The assay was sensitive up to a dilution of 1:10 000. Sera from patients with AIDS showed a geometric mean titer (GMT) of NA of 1:475, whereas much higher GMTs (1:1318 and 1:1009) were observed in patients with ARC and healthy male homosexuals, respectively. Moreover, titers of NA significantly correlated with the levels of anti-HTLV-III antibodies detected by IF.