Immunoelectron microscopic study on the cross-reactivity of antibodies to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigens in human and monkey sera.

The cross-reactivity of antibodies to adult T-cell leukemia (ATL)-associated antigens (ATLA) in human and monkey sera was investigated by indirect immunoperoxidase and immunoferritin methods using a human cell line (MT-2) carrying a type C virus (HTLV), two monkey cell lines (Si-1 and Si-3) carrying HTLV, and a monkey cell line (Si-2) carrying a type C virus isolated from an anti-ATLA-positive monkey. Anti-ATLA-positive but not-negative human and monkey sera gave positive immunoperoxidase reaction with all four virus-positive cell lines when studied by light microscopy. Electron microscopic findings revealed ferritin or peroxidase labeling of virus particles and plasma membranes of these four cell lines with antibody-positive but not-negative human and monkey sera. These results clearly indicate the cross-reactivity of anti-ATLA antibodies in human and monkey sera at light and electron microscopic levels, and the presence of antigenic determinants common to the surface of type C virus particles of human and monkey origin.