Abstract

The major goal of this project is to determine the role of existing or new viruses in the etiology of AIDS. The study will prospectively follow and monitor three groups of human subjects; two groups at high risk for AIDS plus a group of AIDS patients. The three groups are (a) 240 hemophiliac patients (b) 100 young gay males in Boston (c) AIDS patients in Massachusetts General Hospital The people in these groups will be monitored for the presence of genomes of six viruses and attempts will be made to isolate genomes of new viruses. The six viruses are cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human T-cell leukemia virus, adenovirus type 35, lymphotropic papovavirus and Herpesvirus saimiri-like viruses. The presence of their genomes will be monitored by 1) dot-blot hybridization, 2) Southern gel hybridization, 3) restriction endonuclease analysis of virus isolated in this study and 4) Eckhardt-type gel analysis. Attempts will be made to isolate by molecular genomes of new viruses of AIDS patients from Eckhardt-type gels. This study will be performed collaboratively with two ongoing immunological studies on groups a, and b and c respectively.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
5U01AI021129-03
Application #
3546560
Study Section
(SSS)
Project Start
1984-02-01
Project End
1987-08-31
Budget Start
1986-02-01
Budget End
1987-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
660735098
City
Worcester
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
01655

  Publications

Medveczky, M M; Geck, P; Vassallo, R et al. (1993) Expression of the collagen-like putative oncoprotein of Herpesvirus saimiri in transformed T cells. Virus Genes 7:349-65
Medveczky, M M; Geck, P; Sullivan, J L et al. (1993) IL-2 independent growth and cytotoxicity of herpesvirus saimiri-infected human CD8 cells and involvement of two open reading frame sequences of the virus. Virology 196:402-12
Mellinghoff, I; Daibata, M; Humphreys, R E et al. (1991) Early events in Epstein-Barr virus genome expression after activation: regulation by second messengers of B cell activation. Virology 185:922-8
Geck, P; Whitaker, S A; Medveczky, M M et al. (1990) Expression of collagenlike sequences by a tumor virus, herpesvirus saimiri. J Virol 64:3509-15
Medveczky, M M; Szomolanyi, E; Hesselton, R et al. (1989) Herpesvirus saimiri strains from three DNA subgroups have different oncogenic potentials in New Zealand white rabbits. J Virol 63:3601-11
Monroe, J E; Calender, A; Mulder, C (1988) Epstein-Barr virus-positive and -negative B-cell lines can be infected with human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2. J Virol 62:3497-500
Crumpacker, C; Heagy, W; Bubley, G et al. (1987) Ribavirin treatment of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome-related complex (ARC). A phase 1 study shows transient clinical improvement associated with suppression of the human immunodeficiency virus and Ann Intern Med 107:664-74
Daum, G S; Sullivan, J L; Ansell, J et al. (1987) Virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome: identification of an immunoproliferative precursor lesion. Hum Pathol 18:1071-4
Monroe, J E; Andrews, C; Sullivan, J L et al. (1987) Use of cytoplasmic dot-blot hybridization to detect human immunodeficiency virus RNA sequences in cultures of peripheral blood. J Infect Dis 155:320-2
Groopman, J E; Sullivan, J L; Mulder, C et al. (1986) Pathogenesis of B cell lymphoma in a patient with AIDS. Blood 67:612-5