[Inactivation of HIV-1 in human femur heads using a heat disinfection system (Lobator SD-1)]

The use of allogenic bone transplants in surgery has been greatly diminished owing to the risk of transmitting infectious diseases. This risk can be reduced by the use of a thermal disinfection system (Lobator SD-1). This is achieved by increasing the temperature to 80 degrees C, inactivating a number of bacterial and viral agents. In this study the decay of HIV at high temperature in the Lobator SD-1 was researched. In the center of human femoral heads 100 microliters of a highly concentrated suspension of free and cell-bound HIV (10(10)) was exposed to the thermal process at intervals of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 62 min. For the recultivation HUT-78 cells were used through titration of the virus suspension in ten-fold dilutions over ten dilution steps and incubation up to a maximum of 21 days. Evidence of the virus was checked through observing giant cell formations and quantitative determination of p24 antigen using an Elisa test. Linear virus inactivation was found based upon the time the virus was exposed to heat. After a treatment of 40 min in the disinfection system, total virus inactivation was achieved. The normal disinfection process time using Lobator SD-1 is 92 min. A temperature of 80 degrees C is reached after approximately 45 min. The results prove that this system totally inactivates HIV in human femoral heads.