Detection of provirus in an HTLV-II producer CD8+ T cell line by polymerase chain reaction combined with digoxigenin-ELISA method.

A human T-cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) producer cell line, designated HTLV-IIA, was established by cocultivation with leukocytes from an anti-human T-cell leukemia type I (HTLV-I) antibody-positive white male intravenous drug abuser and a healthy Japanese female. The cell line was examined for viral antigens by the indirect immunofluorescence method. The cytoplasm of over 80% of the cells was brilliantly stained. Cytogenetically, the cell line has a normal female karyotype. Electron microscopy of the HTLV-IIA disclosed many C-type retrovirus particles of mature, immature and non-cored types in the extracellular spaces. The surface markers of the transformed cells are CD2+, CD3+, CD4- and CD8+. To distinguish between HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection in the cell line, a method for detection of the HTLV-II provirus was developed by combining the polymerase chain reaction method with digoxigenin-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.