COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF HUMAN AND RABBIT-CELL INFECTION WITH CELL-FREE HTLV-I

Infection of human and rabbit cells with cell-free HTLV-1 was studied by PCR analysis. Both human and rabbit PBL were infected similarly by cell-free free virus of both human and rabbit cell origin. Cells were infected with the cell-free virus without prior treatment and regardless of the concentration of the culture supernatant containing the virus. Human and rabbit cell lines were also infected similarly by the cell-free virus, the proviral DNA persisting for more than two months. The culture supernatants of HTLV-1-producing cells could thus be a potential cause of laboratory infections.