Heat inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus in solutions of antithrombin III.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), isolated from cultures of infected peripheral blood lymphocytes, was added to solutions of highly purified antithrombin III (AT-III), which was stabilized with 1 M citrate and 17 percent sucrose. The efficiency of heat inactivation of HIV in AT-III at 60 degrees C was compared with that of HIV in culture medium and followed for periods from 0 to at least 10 hours. The virus added, titer 10(5) by ID50, was inactivated as rapidly (less than 30 minutes) and efficiently (completely) in the stabilized AT-III as in the culture medium. Virus was determined both by direct measurement of the HIV-related reverse transcriptase activity and by quantitation of virus infectivity by ID50 assay.