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The first human retroviruses: are there others?
1Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20205.
Microbiological Sciences
|January 1, 1985
Summary
Three human retroviruses were identified: Human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV) type I causes adult T-cell leukaemia, HTLV type II is rare, and HTLV type III is linked to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Three distinct retroviruses have been recently identified in humans.
- These viruses share similarities but exhibit significant differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate and characterize three newly identified human retroviruses.
- To investigate the potential disease associations of each retrovirus.
Main Methods:
- Retroviral isolation and identification.
- Clinical and epidemiological correlation studies.
Main Results:
- Human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV) type I is strongly associated with adult T-cell leukaemia.
- HTLV type II has been infrequently isolated and lacks a confirmed disease association.
- HTLV type III is highly implicated as the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Conclusions:
- The identification of distinct HTLV types provides crucial insights into retroviral pathogenesis.
- HTLV-I, HTLV-II, and HTLV-III represent significant etiological agents in human diseases, including leukaemia and AIDS.