| abstract |
A first glycoprotein having a molecular weight of approximately 61,000-68,000 daltons in the cell lines MJ, C5-MJ, C91 PL or HUT-102, of which 46,000 to 48,000 represent the non-glycosylated half, is obtained from cells infected with the human T cell leukemia virus. A second glycoprotein having a molecular weight of about 45,000-52,000 daltons is also obtained from such cells and is largely identical to the NH2 terminus of the first glycoprotein. The presence in the biological specimen of an antibody to the antigenic determinant of either of these proteins indicates the presence of cells infected with the human T cell leukemia virus. Antibody analysis is a useful diagnostic method for determining such infection in biological specimens. |