Effects of gamma irradiation on the human immunodeficiency virus. A study in frozen human bone-patellar ligament-bone grafts obtained from infected cadavera.

We studied the effects of several different doses of gamma radiation, ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 gray (2.0 to 4.0 megarad), with respect to the inactivation of the human immunodeficiency virus in fresh-frozen, whole bone-patellar ligament-bone grafts. Although the International Atomic Energy Agency has recommended the use of 25,000 gray of gamma radiation for the sterilization of medical products, the dose required for the inactivation of the human immunodeficiency virus in frozen allografts has not been established. Using one of the most sensitive and specific tests for the detection of the human immunodeficiency virus, the polymerase-chain-reaction test, we found that doses of 20,000 or 25,000 gray of gamma radiation did not destroy the genes of the human immunodeficiency virus effectively; DNA of the virus was detectable in the DNA of bone-marrow tissue obtained from grafts treated with these doses. However, DNA of the human immunodeficiency virus was not detectable in the grafts treated with 30,000 or 40,000 gray of gamma radiation. We conclude that a dose of 30,000 gray of gamma radiation or more is necessary for the sterilization of a fresh-frozen bone-patellar ligament-bone allograft, so that it can be used for reconstructive procedures without the risk of transmission of the virus to the recipient.