Use of semiquantitative human immunodeficiency virus type 1 culture to guide therapy in a premature infant

Semiquantitative cultures for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 were used to initiate and guide therapy in an asymptomatic, heavily infected premature infant. The cultures were performed on fivefold serial dilutions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and viral growth was detected by the appearance of p24 antigen in the supernatant. While the patient was receiving low-dose zidovudine, her titer diminished from 206 infectious units per 10(6) cells to undetectable levels over 20 weeks, and she remained asymptomatic throughout her 1st year of life. This case suggests that semiquantitative HIV-1 culture should be further evaluated for its ability to guide practical therapeutic decisions in patients who do not fulfill currently established criteria for treatment.

Proton-translocating transhydrogenase and NAD- and NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenases operate in a substrate cycle which contributes to fine regulation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle activity in mitochondria

H(+)-transhydrogenase (H(+)-Thase) and NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH) are very active in animal mitochondria but their physiological function is only poorly understood. This is especially so in the case of the heart and muscle, where there are no major consumers of NADPH. We propose here that H(+)-Thase and NADP-ICDH have a combined function in the fine regulation of the activity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, providing enhanced sensitivity to changes in energy demand. This is achieved through cycling of substrates by NAD-linked ICDH, NADP-linked ICDH and H(+)-Thase. It is proposed that NAD-ICDH operates in the forward direction of the TCA cycle, but NADP-ICDH is driven in reverse by elevated levels of NADPH resulting from the action of the transmembrane proton electrochemical potential gradient (delta p) on H(+)-Thase. This has the effect of increasing the sensitivity to allosteric modifiers of NAD-ICDH (NADH, ADP, ATP, Ca2+ etc), potentially giving rise to large changes in the net flux from iso-citrate to alpha-ketoglutarate. Furthermore, changes in the level of delta p resulting from changes in the demand for ATP would, via H(+)-Thase, shift the redox state of the NADP pool and this, in turn, would lead to a change in the rate of the reaction catalysed by NADP-ICDH and hence to an additional and complementary effect on the net metabolic flux from isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate. Other consequences of this substrate cycle are, (i) the production of heat at the expense of delta p, which may contribute to thermoregulation in the animal, and (ii) an increased rate of dissipation of delta p (leak).

A phase I/II trial of intravenous L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (procysteine) in asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects

Twenty-four asymptomatic, HIV-1-seropositive subjects with CD4 cell counts of > or = 400/microliters participated in a Phase I/II, dose escalation trial of intravenous L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTC: Procysteine). Four groups of six subjects each were consecutively assigned to receive OTC at an initial dose of 3, 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg, followed by the same dose given twice weekly for 6 weeks. Increases in whole-blood glutathione were observed in the highest dosage group after 6 weeks of therapy. No effects on changes in CD4 cell counts, viral load, or proviral DNA frequency were observed among the four dosage groups, although a decline in beta 2-microglobulin levels was apparent in the highest dosage group. One subject withdrew due to headaches; other probable adverse events including rash, flushing, pruritus, lightheadedness, and diminished concentration were self-limited.

Kinetic resolution of the reaction catalysed by proton-translocating transhydrogenase from Escherichia coli as revealed by experiments with analogues of the nucleotide substrates

The mechanism, by which transhydrogenase couples transfer of H- equivalents between NAD(H) and NADP(H) to the translocation of protons across a membrane, has been investigated in the solubilised, purified enzyme from Escherichia coli using analogues of the nucleotide substrates. The key observation was that, at low pH and ionic strength, solubilised transhydrogenase catalysed the very rapid reduction of acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide (an analogue of NAD+) by NADH, but only in the presence of either NADP+ or NADPH. This indicates that the rates of release of NADP+ and NADPH from their binary complexes with the enzyme are slow. The dependences on pH and salt concentration suggest that (a) release of both NADP+ and NADPH are accompanied by the release of H+ from the enzyme and (b) increased ionic strength decreases the value of the pKa of the group responsible for H+ release. Modification of the enzyme with N,N1-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide led to inhibition of the rate of release of NADP+ and NADPH from the enzyme, but had a much smaller effect on the binding and release of NAD+, NADH and their analogues and on the interconversion of the ternary complexes of the enzyme with its substrates. It is considered that the binding and release of H+, which accompany the binding and release of NADP+/NADPH, might be central to the mechanism of proton translocation by the enzyme in its membrane-bound state.

Establishment of a quality assurance program for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 DNA polymerase chain reaction assays by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group. ACTG PCR Working Group, and the ACTG PCR Virology Laboratories

An independent quality assurance program has been established by the Virology Committee of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group in the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for monitoring polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA that are performed by 11 laboratories participating in multicenter clinical trials in the United States. To perform HIV-1 DNA PCR for patients in AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocols, each laboratory was initially certified by correctly testing a coded certification panel consisting of eight well-defined clinical whole-blood specimens and 30 cell pellets containing 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, or 50 8E5/LAV cells per 125,000 uninfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells. PCR was performed by one of two standardized commercial assays for amplification and nonisotopic detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA. For continuing certification, each laboratory must correctly test eight coded whole-blood samples per quarter and run three or four coded cell pellets and HIV-1 DNA copy standards with every PCR assay in real time. The PCR results for the coded pellets on each run are entered into an encrypted computer file, which immediately assesses the validity of the run. To date, 10 of 11 laboratories have correctly tested all HIV-1-positive and -negative samples in the initial certification panel on their first or second attempt. Subsequently, 9 of these 11 laboratories have continued to maintain their certified status. The use of commercial HIV-1 DNA PCR assays and an external quality assurance program have ensured that results from different laboratories are comparable and that problems with sensitivity and specificity are quickly identified.

Beta 2-microglobulin, HIV-1 p24 antibody and acid-dissociated HIV-1 p24 antigen levels: predictive markers for vertical transmission of HIV-1 in pregnant Ugandan women

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical utility of plasma beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) levels, acid-dissociated HIV-1 p24 antigen, and HIV-1 p24-antibody titers in predicting HIV-1 vertical transmission in 227 HIV-1-infected Ugandan pregnant women.

DESIGN

Plasma beta 2M levels, acid-dissociated HIV-1 p24-antigen positivity, and HIV-1 p24-antibody titers were determined using commercial enzyme immunoassays (EIA) in a Ugandan cohort of 52 HIV-1-seropositive transmitting mothers, 175 HIV-1-seropositive non-transmitting mothers, and 52 seronegative mothers within 6 weeks prior to delivery.

RESULTS

Transmitter mothers had significantly higher plasma concentrations of beta 2M (1.80 +/- 1.13 mg/l) than non-transmitter seropositive mothers (1.32 +/- 0.81 mg/l; P = 0.0013). Similarly, a significantly higher proportion of transmitter mothers had detectable p24 antigen than non-transmitter mothers [six out of 51 (11.8%) versus six out of 173 (3.5%); P = 0.03]. Compared with the vertical transmission rate of 23% in the seropositive group, the positive predictive values of a beta 2M level > 1.5 mg/l or detectable HIV-1 p24 antigen for vertical transmission were 34 and 50%, respectively. Five of six (83.3%) seropositive mothers with both a beta 2M level > 1.5 mg/l and detectable p24 antigenemia transmitted HIV-1 infection to their infants compared with 25 of 124 (20.2%) seropositive mothers with values below the cut-off values for both tests (P = 0.00249). However, beta 2M was not found to be a significant independent predictor of vertical transmission when analyzed in a multivariate model with p24 antigenemia. There was no significant difference in HIV-1 p24-antibody titers in transmitter mothers versus non-transmitter mothers (P = 0.299).

CONCLUSION

beta 2M levels and acid-dissociated HIV-1 p24-antigen assays may be used to predict which HIV-1-infected pregnant women are at greatest risk for vertical transmission. However, only the p24-antigen test was independently predictive of vertical transmission and its clinical utility is limited.

The ratio of protons translocated/hydride ion equivalent transferred by nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase in chromatophores from Rhodospirillum rubrum

The reduction of acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide (AcPdAD+, an NAD+ analogue) by NADPH, in chromatophores treated with valinomycin, was accompanied by alkalinisation of the external medium, as measured by the absorbance change of added cresol red, a simple, non-binding pH indicator. Experiments with a stopped-flow spectrophotometer showed that initial (linear) rates of alkalinisation persisted for 1-2s. From the results of experiments in which H+ uptake was driven by a series of short flashes of light, the dependence of the outward proton leak on the extent of H+ uptake was established. Thus, the proton leak was subtracted from the initial rate of alkalinisation during transhydrogenation to give the true proton-uptake rate. The correction factor was usually about 10%. The ratio of protons translocated/H- transferred from NADPH to AcPdAD+ (the H+/H- ratio) was 0.60 +/- 0.06. The transhydrogenation reaction between NAD+ and NADPH was measured in the presence of a regeneration system for NAD+ (pyruvate and lactate dehydrogenase). In addition to the accompanying proton-translocation reaction, scalar H+ consumption linked to the regeneration system was observed and permitted internal checks on the calibration of the cresol red absorbance changes. After correction for the proton leak and scalar proton uptake, an H+/H- ratio of 0.60 +/- 0.30 was calculated from the initial rates. The water-soluble polypeptide of transhydrogenase (Ths) was washed from a sample of chromatophores to inhibit transhydrogenation activity and the accompanying H+ uptake. Re-addition of purified Ths to depleted chromatophores led to recovery of transhydrogenation activity and of H+ uptake. In this reconstituted system the H+/H- was similar to that in the native membranes. These results make it unlikely that the H+/H- ratio is artefactually low because chromatophores have a population of transhydrogenase which is not coupled to proton translocation. Further evidence that the mechanistic H+/H- ratio of chromatophore transhydrogenase is less than 1 was provided by an analysis of the kinetics of alkalinisation of the medium during reduction of AcPdAD+ by NADPH. It was shown that the progress of the transhydrogenation-induced alkalinisation was fitted by the sum of H+ uptake (the rate of transhydrogenation multiplied by the H+/H- ratio) plus the H+ leak, when the ratio was 0.6 but not when it was 1.0. The results are discussed in terms of the possible mechanism of energy coupling by transhydrogenase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Electrochromic responses of carotenoid absorbance bands in purified light-harvesting complexes from Rhodobacter capsulatus reconstituted into liposomes

Light-Harvesting Complexes I and II (LHI and LHII) were extracted from chromatophores of Rhodobacter capsulatus, purified in Triton X-100 and reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. Application of membrane potentials (K+ diffusion potentials) to LHII proteoliposomes led to absorbance changes in the carotenoid bands which were spectrally similar to those in chromatophores. These (electrochromic) absorbance changes were linear with the applied membrane potential between -107 mV and +105 mV. The data were consistent with the existence of two forms of carotenoid in LHII. One form, comprising 2/3 of the total and with a long wavelength absorbance maximum at 510 nm, was not significantly affected by membrane potential. The other component, comprising 1/3 of the total and with a long wavelength absorbance maximum at 516.5 nm, was shifted by approx. 1.6 nm to the red by a membrane potential of 105 mV. Reduction of the B800 bacteriochlorophyll in LHII with NaBH4 before reconstitution did not affect the absorbance spectrum of the carotenoids and it did not affect their response to applied membrane potentials in proteoliposomes. Although the electrochromically-sensitive carotenoids might be associated with B800, interactions with the bacteriochlorophyll are perhaps not the cause of the polarisation of the carotenoid that is responsible for the linearity of the response. The carotenoids in reconstituted LHI complexes were not detectably electrochromic. The electrochromic absorbance changes of carotenoids in LHII could be useful for membrane potential measurement in liposomes containing ion-translocating proteins.

Electrochromic responses of bacteriochlorophyll absorbance bands in purified light-harvesting complexes of Rhodobacter capsulatus reconstituted into liposomes

Purified light harvesting complexes I and II (LHI and LHII) from Rhodobacter capsulatus were purified and separately incorporated into liposomes. Electrochromic absorbance changes of bacteriochlorophyll bands in the proteoliposomes in response to K(+)-diffusion potentials were recorded. In LHII proteoliposomes the application of positive-inside potentials led to red shifts in the bacteriochlorophyll absorbance bands centered at 377, 801 and 858 nm. Negative-inside potentials caused blue shifts of these bands. Electrochromism of the 590 nm band was too small to detect. The band at 858 nm was considerably more electrochromic than that at 801 nm. Electrochromic absorbance changes measured at 865-850 nm were linear with the applied diffusion potential. In LHI proteoliposomes positive-inside diffusion potentials caused red shifts of the bands centred at 374 nm and 880 nm. At 880 nm the response was linear with the applied diffusion potential and was equivalent in amplitude to that of the 858 nm band in LHII proteoliposomes. If it is assumed that the permanent dipole moment differences between the ground state and excited state of B800, B850 and B870 are similar and that polarisability effects are negligible, it follows that (a) the plane of the bacteriochlorin ring of B850 is more perpendicular to the membrane plane than that of B800 and (b) the orientations of B850 and B870 relative to the membrane plane are similar.

Activation and inhibition of mitochondrial transhydrogenase by metal ions

Mitochondrial transhydrogenase has been reported previously to be inhibited by high, rather non-physiological concentrations (in the range of 2-20 mM) of divalent cations. We show that the enzyme could be activated by low (from about 1 microM to 1 mM) concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+, which are within physiological range. These results bring in line the effects observed with mitochondrial enzyme to the findings with bacterial transhydrogenases. The activation of transhydrogenase by divalent cations is interpreted as an increase in affinity of the NADP(H)-binding site of the enzyme-NAD(H) complex. Reported effects of the metal ions could be important for the enzyme function in vivo.

Detection and quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 using molecular DNA/RNA technology

The direct detection and quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 are becoming increasingly important for diagnosis and viral load determinations in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Traditional molecular-based assays such as Southern, Northern, and in situ hybridization have had limited application in this area due to the relatively low number of proviral copies per cell, the low percentage of infected cells, and transcriptional dormancy in many of the infected cells. Recent technological advances in polymerase chain reaction assays promise a number of useful applications in the clinical research and clinical laboratory setting.

Inhibition of proton-translocating transhydrogenase from photosynthetic bacteria by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

The effects of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide [(cHxN)2C] on the proton-translocating enzyme, NAD(P) H(+)-transhydrogenase (H(+)-Thase), from two species of phototrophic bacteria have been investigated. The polypeptides of H(+)-Thase from Rhodobacter capsulatus are membrane-associated, requiring detergent to maintain solubility. The enzyme from Rhodospirillum rubrum, however, has a water soluble polypeptide (Ths) and a membrane-associated component (Thm) which, separately, have no activity but which can be fully reconstituted to give a functional complex. Two observations suggest that (cHxN)2C inhibited H(+)-Thase from both species by modification either close to or at the NADP(H)-binding site on the enzyme: (a) the presence of NADP+ or NADPH caused increased inhibition by (cHxN)2C and (b) after treatment of the purified enzyme from Rb. capsulatus with (cHxN)2C, the release of NADP+ became rate-limiting, as evidenced by a stimulated rate of NADPH-dependent reduction of acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide by NADH. Experiments in which Ths and Thm from R. rubrum were separately treated with (cHxN)2C then reconstituted with the complementary, untreated component revealed that the NADP(H)-enhanced modification by (cHxN)2C was confined to Thm. In contrast to some experiments with mitochondrial H(+)-Thase [Wakabayashi, S. & Hatefi, Y. (1987) Biochem. Int. 15, 667-675], there was no protective effect of either NAD+ or NADH on the inhibition by (cHxN)2C of enzyme from photosynthetic bacteria. However, amino acid sequence analysis of proteolytic fragments of Ths revealed that the NAD(H)-protectable, (cHxN)2C-reactive glutamate residue in mitochondrial H(+)-Thase might be replaced by glutamine in R. rubrum.

New testing approaches in transfusion medicine

A revolution has occurred in the availability of molecular diagnostic technology in the last decade. We are just now beginning to bridge the gap between research and the availability of rapidly licensed clinical assays. Many of these new technologies will be useful in the general practice of transfusion medicine. Some of these techniques may be discarded as impractical. However, many of these methods should prove to be useful in clinical transfusion research and diagnosis.

The relation between the soluble factor associated with H(+)-transhydrogenase of Rhodospirillum rubrum and the enzyme from mitochondria and Escherichia coli

Although in mitochondria, Escherichia coli and Rhodobacter capsulatus the H(+)-transhydrogenases are intrinsic membrane proteins, in Rhodospirillum rubrum a water-soluble component (Ths) and a membrane-bound component are together required for activity. Ths was selectively removed from chromatophore membranes of Rhs. rubrum and was purified to homogeneity by precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 and ion-exchange, affinity dye and gel exclusion chromatography. The latter indicated an Mr of approx. 74,000 under non-denaturing conditions but analysis of the pure protein by SDS-PAGE revealed a single polypeptide, Mr 43,000. Antibodies against this polypeptide inhibited transhydrogenase activity of chromatophores and decreased the capacity of Ths to restore activity to depleted membranes. They reacted with a polypeptide of Mr 43,000 in crude cell extract, chromatophore membranes and chromatophore washings but not with transhydrogenase polypeptides from the membranes of E. coli, Rb. capsulatus or animal mitochondria. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 43,000 polypeptide was strongly homologous with the reported N-terminal regions of mitochondrial transhydrogenase and the alpha subunit of the E. coli protein. The break between the alpha and beta polypeptides of E. coli transhydrogenase is such that both components are membrane-associated. In contrast, these results suggest that in the Rhs. rubrum enzyme Ths has been formed by a break closer to the N-terminus, thus avoiding the putative trans-membrane helical segments and yielding a relatively hydrophilic subunit, which is water-soluble. There is a predicted similarity between Ths and the reported sequence of alanine dehydrogenase from Bacillus but Ths did not have any alanine dehydrogenase activity.

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from Rhodobacter capsulatus; the H+/H- ratio and the activation state of the enzyme during reduction of acetyl pyridine adenine dinucleotide

Chromatophores from Rhodobacter capsulatus were incubated in the dark with NADPH and acetylpyridineadenine dinucleotide (AcPdAD+) in the presence of different concentrations of myxothiazol. The transhydrogenase activity was monitored until an appropriate mass action ratio, [AcPdAD+][NADPH]/[AcPdADH][NADP+], was reached. The sample was then illuminated and the initial rate of either AcPdAD+ reduction by NADPH or AcPdADH oxidation by NADP+ was recorded. The ratio of H+ translocated per H- equivalent transferred by transhydrogenase was calculated from the value of the membrane potential (delta pH = 0) at which illumination caused no net reaction in either direction. The mean value for the H+/H- ratio was 0.55. At greater values of [AcPdAD+][NADPH]/[AcPdADH][NADP+] than were employed in the above experiments and over a wider range of concentrations of myxothiazol, it was found that incremental increases in the membrane potential always gave rise to a decrease, never an increase in the rate of AcPdAD+ reduction. In contrast to the H(+)-ATP synthase, there is no evidence of any activation/deactivation of H(+)-transhydrogenase by the protonmotive force.

Non-isotopic polymerase chain reaction methods for the detection of HIV-1 in Ugandan mothers and infants

Two non-isotopic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were evaluated by testing blood from 41 HIV-1-seropositive and 16 HIV-1-seronegative Ugandan mothers and 56 of their children (aged 0.5-15.0 months). Amplification of HIV-1 sequences was performed in duplicate using a biotinylated primer pair to the gag region (SK 462-431) and nested primer pairs (JA 17-20) to the pol region of HIV-1. gag sequences were hybridized using a microtiter plate coated with the SK 102 probe followed by colorimetric detection using an avidin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate and tetramethylbenzidine/peroxide substrate. pol sequences were detected on agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. Results of HIV-1 PCR analysis showed that 40 out of 41 (98%) seropositive mothers and 10 out of 29 (34%) seropositive children had detectable HIV-1 gag and pol sequences. None of the 16 seronegative mothers nor 27 seronegative or Western blot-indeterminate children had detectable HIV-1 sequences. Our results suggest that non-isotopic PCR methods are sensitive, specific, and potentially useful in the early diagnosis of HIV-1 infection in developed and developing countries.

The proton-translocating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide transhydrogenase

H(+)-transhydrogenase couples the reversible transfer of hydride ion equivalents between NAD(H) and NADP(H) to the translocation of protons across a membrane. There are separate sites on the enzyme for the binding of NAD(H) and of NADP(H). There are some indications of the position of the binding sites in the primary sequence of the enzymes from mitochondria and Escherichia coli. Transfer of hydride ion equivalents only proceeds when a reduced and an oxidized nucleotide are simultaneously bound to the enzyme. When delta p = 0 the rate of interconversion of the ternary complexes of enzyme and nucleotide substrates is probably limiting. An increase in delta p accelerates the rate of interconversion in the direction of NADH----NADP+ until another kinetic component, possibly product release, becomes limiting. The available data are consistent with either direct or indirect mechanisms of energy coupling.

Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in autologous blood donors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of posttransfusion hepatitis. Two anti-HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits and one recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) were used to test serum samples of 1476 donations from 692 autologous blood donors to assess the prevalence of anti-HCV and its relationship to transfusion history. Of all autologous blood donations, 23 (1.6%) reacted when tested with one EIA kit and 29 (2.0%) reacted when tested by the other EIA kit. Of the autologous donors, 12 (1.78%) reacted by the first EIA kit and 14 (2.02%) by the second. Discrepancies in the EIA results from different donations by the same donor were seen in seven donors. The RIBA was positive or indeterminate in 33 percent of the EIA-reactive donations and in 41 percent of EIA-reactive donors. All RIBA-positive and -indeterminate samples reacted with both EIA kits. There was no significant difference in the EIA-reactive rates of autologous and first-time homologous blood donors. Previously transfused autologous blood donors had a higher anti-HCV EIA-reactive rate than nontransfused autologous donors, but the difference was not significant. In regard to hepatitis C, the use of autologous blood for homologous transfusion appears to be as safe as the use of blood from first-time homologous donors. Universal testing of previously transfused patients for hepatitis C appears premature at this time. Discrepant anti-HCV EIA results from different donations from the same individual have implications regarding donor deferral.

Cytochrome c2 is essential for electron transfer to nitrous oxide reductase from physiological substrates in Rhodobacter capsulatus and can act as an electron donor to the reductase in vitro. Correlation with photoinhibition studies

1. Addition of nitrous oxide to a periplasmic fraction released from Rhodobacter capsulatus strains MT1131, N22DNAR+ or AD2 caused oxidation of c-type cytochrome, as judged by the decrease in absorbance at 550 nm. The periplasmic fraction catalysed reduction of nitrous oxide in the presence of either isoascorbate plus phenazine ethosulphate or reduced methyl viologen. The rates with these two electron donors were similar and were comparable to the activity observed with a quantity of cells equivalent to those from which the periplasm sample had been derived. Activity in the periplasm could not be observed with ascorbate plus 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine although this reductant was effective with intact cells treated with myxothiazol to block the activity of the cytochrome-bc1 complex. 2. Cells of R. capsulatus MTG4/S4, a mutant from which the gene for cytochrome c2 has been specifically deleted, did not catalyse detectable rates of nitrous-oxide reduction. A nitrous-oxide reductase activity was present, as shown by activity of both cells and a periplasmic fraction with isoascorbate plus phenazine ethosulphate as reductant. The rates in cells and the periplasmic fraction were similar to those observed in the corresponding wild-type strain (MT1131). In contrast to wild-type cells, 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine [Ph(NMe2)2] were ineffective as mediators of electrons from isoascorbate. Visible absorption spectra showed that no detectable cytochromes in either the periplasm or intact cells of the MTG4/S4 mutant were oxidised by nitrous oxide. 3. Purified ferroycytochrome c2 from R. capsulatus was oxidised by nitrous oxide in the presence of periplasm from R. capsulatus MTG4/S4. The rate of oxidation was proportional to the amount of periplasm added, but was considerably lower than the rate of nitrous-oxide reduction observed with the same periplasmic fraction when either ascorbate plus phenazine ethosulphate or reduced methyl viologen were used as substrates. The oxidation of cytochrome c2 was inhibited by acetylene and by low concentrations of NaCl. 4. Oxidation of ferrocytochrome c2 by nitrous oxide was observed when the purified cytochrome was mixed with a preparation of nitrous-oxide reductase. However, oxidation of ferrocytochrome c' by nitrous oxide was not observed in the presence of the reductase. The observations with the mutant MTG4/S4 suggest that cytochrome c2 is the only periplasmic cytochrome involved in nitrous-oxide reduction. 5. Nitrous-oxide-dependent oxidation of a c-type cytochrome was observed in a periplasmic fraction from Paracoccus denitrificans, provided the fraction was first reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Purification and properties of the H(+)-nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from Rhodobacter capsulatus

1. H(+)-transhydrogenase from Rhodobacter capsulatus is an integral membrane protein which, unlike the enzyme from Rhodospirillum rubrum, does not require the presence of a water-soluble component for activity. 2. The enzyme from Rb. capsulatus was solubilised in Triton X-100 and subjected to ion-exchange, hydroxyapatite and then gel-exclusion column chromatography. SDS/PAGE of the purified enzyme revealed the presence of two polypeptides with apparent Mr 53,000 and 48,000. Other minor components which were stained on the electrophoresis gels or which were revealed on Western blots exposed to antibodies raised to total membrane proteins, were probably contaminants. 3. Antibodies raised to the 53-kDa and 48-kDa polypeptides cross-reacted with equivalent polypeptides in Western blots of solubilised membranes from Rb. capsulatus, Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhs. rubrum. The significance of this finding is discussed in the context of the hypothesis [Fisher, R.R. & Earle, S.R. (1982) The pyridine nucleotide coenzymes, pp. 279-324, Academic Press, New York] that the soluble component associated with H(+)-transhydrogenase from Rhs. rubrum is an integral part of the catalytic machinery. Antibodies against the 48-kDa and 53-kDa polypeptides of the Rb. capsulatus enzyme cross-reacted with equivalent polypeptides in solubilised membranes of Escherichia coli. 4. The dependence of the rate of H- transfer by purified H(+)-transhydrogenase on the nucleotide substrate concentrations under steady-state conditions, the effects of inhibition by nucleotide products and the inhibition by 2'-AMP and by 5'-AMP suggest that the reaction proceeds by the random addition of substrates to the enzyme with the formation of a ternary complex. 5. In conflict with this conclusion, the reduction of acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide (AcPdAD+) by NADH in the absence of NADP+ by bacterial membranes was earlier taken as evidence for the existence of a reduced enzyme intermediate [Fisher, R.R. & Earle, S.R. (1982) The pyridine nucleotide coenzymes, pp. 279-324, Academic Press, New York]. However, it is shown here that although chromatophore membranes of Rb. capsulatus catalysed the reduction of AcPdAD+ by NADH, the reaction was not associated with the purified H(+)-transhydrogenase. Moreover, in contrast with the true transhydrogenase reaction, the reconstitution of AcPdAD+ reduction by NADH (in the absence of NADP+) in washed membranes of Rhs. rubrum with partially purified transhydrogenase factor, was only additive.

A rapid burst preceding the steady-state rate of H(+)-transhydrogenase during illumination of chromatophores of Rhodobacter capsulatus. Implications for the mechanism of interaction between protonmotive force and enzyme

At the onset of illumination of chromatophores there was a burst (t1/2 approx. 5 ms) in the rate of the H(+)-transhydrogenase reaction before establishment of the steady-state rate. The burst was suppressed at high pH with a pKa of approx. 8.5. The burst and the steady-state rate were inhibited by either (i) a combination of myxothiazol and carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, or (ii) NAD+, or (iii) dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The results support a model in which substrate binding to H(+)-transhydrogenase is relatively fast. A subsequent slow step is accelerated by the protonmotive force and a third step, possibly product release, is rate-limiting in steady-state turnover during illumination.

The identification of cytochromes involved in the transfer of electrons to the periplasmic NO3- reductase of Rhodobacter capsulatus and resolution of a soluble NO3(-)-reductase--cytochrome-c552 redox complex

The involvement of cytochromes in the electron-transport pathway to the periplasmic NO3- reductase of Rhodobacter capsulatus was studied in cells grown photoheterotrophically in the presence of nitrate with butyrate as carbon source. The specific rate of NO3- reduction by such cells was five times higher than when malate was carbon source. Reduced minus NO3(-)-oxidized spectra of cells had peaks in the alpha-band region for cytochromes at 552 nm and 559 nm, indicating the involvement of c- and b-type cytochromes in the electron-transport pathway to NO3-. The total ferricyanide-oxidizable cytochrome that was also oxidized in the steady state by NO3- was greater in cells grown with butyrate rather than malate. Low concentrations of cyanide inhibited NO3- reduction. Neither CN-, nor a previously characterized inhibitor of NO3- reduction, 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide, prevented the oxidation of the cytochromes by NO3-. This suggested a site of action for these inhibitors on the reducing side of the b- and c-type cytochromes involved in electron transport to the NO3- reductase. The predominant cytochrome in a periplasmic fraction prepared from cells of R. capsulatus grown on butyrate medium was cytochrome c2 but a c-type cytochrome with an alpha-band reduced absorbance maximum at 552 nm could also be identified. The reduced form of this latter cytochrome, but not that of cytochrome c2, was oxidized upon addition of NO3- to a periplasmic fraction. The NO3(-)-oxidizable cytochrome co-purified with the periplasmic NO3- reductase through fractionation procedures that included ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration at low and high salt concentrations, and ion-exchange chromatography. A NO3(-)-reductase-cytochrome-c552 redox complex that comprised two types of polypeptide, a nitrate reductase subunit and a c-type cytochrome subunit, was purified. The polypeptides were separated when the complex was chromatographed on a phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic chromatography column.

The role of c-type cytochromes in the photosynthetic electron transport pathway of Rhodobacter capsulatus

(1) Short flash excitation of membrane vesicles of a cytochrome-c2-deficient mutant of Rhodobacter capsulatus (strain MT-G4/S4) led to rapid oxidation of a c-type cytochrome. In redox titrations, the photooxidation of c-type cytochrome was attenuated with a midpoint of approx. +360 mV. Vesicles from a control strain, MT1131, gave similar results. These findings are consistent with those of Prince et al. (Prince, R.C., Davidson, E., Haith, L.E. and Daldal, F. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 5208-5214). (2) In anaerobic intact cells the extent of rapid re-reduction of c-type cytochrome oxidised after a flash was less in MT-G/S4 than in MT1131. Cytochrome c reduction in both strains was inhibited by myxothiazol. The myxothiazol-sensitive component of the electrochromic absorbance change in cells indicated that rapid charge separation through the cytochrome bc1 complex was less extensive after a flash in MT-G4/S4 than in MT 1131. (3) In anaerobic intact cells and in chromatophores of Rb. capsulatus strain MT-GS18, a mutant deficient in both cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c2, flash excitation led to the oxidation of c-type cytochrome. Redox titrations and spectra of chromatophores suggested that this is the same cytochrome as was photooxidized in vesicles of MT-G4/S4 and MT1131. This result is in contrast with earlier findings (Prince, R.C. and Daldal, F. (1987) Biochim. Biophys, Acta 894, 370-378) in which it was reported that no photooxidation of c-type cytochrome occurred in the absence of c1 and c2, and argues against the possibility that cytochrome c1 can rapidly and directly donate electrons to the reaction centre. (4) It is proposed that a previously uncharacterized, membrane-bound c-type cytochrome (Em7 approximately +360 mV) is present in Rb-capsulatus MT1131, in the c2-deficient mutant MT-G4/34 and in the c1/c2-deficient mutant MTGS18. This cytochrome and cytochrome c2 are alternative electron donors to the reaction centre in strain MT1131.

Evolutionary Significance of Morphospecies: A Test with Cheilostome Bryozoa

Much of the controversy concerning the theory of punctuated equilibrium stems from skepticism about the biologic validity of fossil morphospecies, particularly for supposedly simple invertebrate taxa like cheilostome Bryozoa that form the bulk of the fossil record. However, evidence from breeding experiments and protein electrophoresis shows that morphospecific identity of cheilostomes is heritable and that morphospecies are genetically distinct with no indication of morphologically cryptic species. Thus paleontologists can study cheilostome evolution at the species level, and previously demonstrated pattems suggesting punctuated speciation in cheilostomes should be taken at face value.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 antigen and culture assays

Commercial enzyme immunoassays have recently been developed for the detection and quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral proteins in blood and other body fluids of infected patients. At the same time, culture assays for HIV-1 have become more rapid, sensitive, and specific for HIV-1 isolation from the blood of infected patients. Both of these assays have clinical utility in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of HIV-1 infection in certain patients.

Membrane ionic currents in Rhodobacter capsulatus. Evidence for electrophoretic transport of K+, Rb+ and NH4+

1. The cytoplasmic membrane ionic current of cells of Rhodobacter capsulatus, washed to lower the endogenous K+ concentration, had a non-linear dependence on the membrane potential measured during photosynthetic illumination. Treatment of the cells with venturicidin, an inhibitor of the H(+)-ATP synthase, increased the membrane potential and decreased the membrane ionic current at values of membrane potential below a threshold. 2. The addition of K+ or Rb+, but not of Na+, led to an increase in the membrane ionic current and a decrease in the membrane potential in either the presence or absence of venturicidin. Approximately 0.4 mM K+ or 2.0 mM Rb+ led to a half-maximal response. At saturating concentrations of K+ and Rb+, the membrane ionic currents were similar. The membrane ionic currents due to K+ and Rb+ were not additive. The K(+)-dependent and Rb(+)-dependent ionic currents had a non-linear relationship with membrane potential: the alkali cations only increased the ionic current when the membrane potential lay above a threshold value. The presence of 1 mM Cs+ did not lead to an increase in the membrane ionic current but it had the effect of inhibiting the membrane ionic current due to either K+ or Rb+. 3. Photosynthetic illumination in the presence of either K+ or Rb+, and weak acids such as acetate, led to a decrease in light-scattering by the cells. This was attributed to the uptake of potassium or rubidium acetate and a corresponding increase in osmotic strength in the cytoplasm. 4. The addition of NH4+ also led to an increase in membrane ionic current and to a decrease in membrane potential (half-maximal at 2.0 mM NH4+). The relationship between the NH4(+)-dependent ionic currents and the membrane potential was similar to that for K+. The NH4(+)-dependent and K(+)-dependent ionic current were not additive. However, illumination in the presence of NH4+ and acetate did not lead to significant light-scattering changes. The NH4(+)-dependent membrane ionic current was inhibited by 1 mM Cs+ but not by 50 microM methylamine. 5. It is proposed that the K(+)-dependent membrane ionic current is catalysed by a low-affinity K(+)-transport system such as that described in Rb. capsulatus [Jasper, P. (1978) J. Bacteriol. 133, 1314-1322]. The possibility is considered that, as well as Rb+, this transport system can also operate with NH4+. However, in our experimental conditions NH4+ uptake is followed by NH3 efflux.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Absence of HIV infection in blood donors with indeterminate western blot tests for antibody to HIV-1

To determine whether apparently healthy persons who have had repeatedly reactive enzyme immunoassays and an indeterminate Western blot assay for antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are infected with HIV-1 or HIV-2, we studied 99 such volunteer blood donors in a low-risk area of the country. The subjects were interviewed about HIV risk factors. Coded blood specimens were tested again for HIV-1 antibody (by two different enzyme immunoassays, a Western blot assay and a radioimmunoprecipitation assay) and for HIV-2 antibody by enzyme immunoassay, for HIV-1 by the serum antigen test, for HIV-1 by culture, for human T-cell leukemia virus Type I or II antibody by enzyme immunoassay, and for sequences of HIV DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. Of the 99 blood donors, 98 reported no risk factors for HIV-1 infection; 1 donor had used intravenous drugs. After a median of 14 months (range, 1 to 30) from the time of the initial test, 65 subjects (66 percent) were still repeatedly reactive for HIV-1 antibody on at least one immunoassay. In 91 subjects (92 percent) the Western blot results were still indeterminate, whereas in 8 they were negative. No donor met the criteria for a positive Western blot assay for HIV-1, and none had evidence of HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection on culture or by any other test. We conclude that persons at low risk for HIV infection who have persistent indeterminate HIV-1 Western blots are rarely if ever infected with HIV-1 or HIV-2.

The polymerase chain reaction in transfusion medicine

PCR is a sensitive and powerful diagnostic and research tool. Its diagnostic applications in infectious disease, genetics, and cancer will play a prominent role in transfusion medicine in the next several years. However, the indirect effect of PCR on transfusion medicine in terms of increasing our understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of therapeutic agents will be even greater.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 detected in all seropositive symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

Between February 1987 and October 1988, peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMC) from 409 adult individuals antibody positive by Western (immuno-)blot for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (56 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS] patients, 88 patients with AIDS-related complex, and 265 asymptomatic individuals) were consecutively cultured for HIV-1 or tested for the presence of HIV-1 DNA sequences by a polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR). We isolated HIV-1 or detected HIV-1 DNA sequences from the PBMC of all 409 HIV-1 antibody-positive individuals. None of 131 healthy HIV-1 antibody-negative individuals were HIV-1 culture positive, nor were HIV-1 DNA sequences detected by PCR in the blood specimens of 43 seronegative individuals. In addition, HIV-1 PCR and HIV-1 culture were compared in testing the PBMC of 59 HIV-1 antibody-positive and 20 HIV-1 antibody-negative hemophiliacs. Both methods were found to have sensitivities and specificities of at least 97 and 100%, respectively. In contrast, the sensitivities of serum HIV-1 antigen testing in AIDS patients and asymptomatic seropositive patients were 42 and 17%, respectively. Our ability to directly demonstrate HIV-1 infection in all HIV-1 antibody-positive individuals provides definitive support that HIV-1 antibody positivity is associated with present HIV-1 infection. Moreover, the sensitivities and specificities of PCR and culture for the detection of HIV-1 appear to be equivalent, and both methods are superior to testing for HIV-1 antigen in serum for the direct detection of HIV-1.

Electron transport pathways to nitrous oxide in Rhodobacter species

1. Electron transport components involved in nitrous oxide reduction in several strains of Rhodobacter capsulatus and in the denitrifying strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides (f. sp. denitrificans) have been investigated. Detailed titrations with antimycin A and myxothiazol, inhibitors of the cytochrome bc1 complex, show that part of the electron flow to nitrous oxide passes through this complex. The sensitivity to myxothiazol varies between strains and growth conditions of R. capsulatus; the higher rates of nitrous oxide reduction correlate with the higher sensitivities. Partial inhibition of the nitrous oxide reductase enzyme with azide decreased the sensitivity to myxothiazol of the strains that had the highest nitrous oxide reductase activity. 2. Inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction in cells of R. capsulatus by myxothiazol could be restored under dark conditions by addition of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine. The highest activities observed after addition of this electron carrier were found in the strains that had the highest sensitivity to myxothiazol, consistent with the premise that this inhibitor is more effective at the higher flux rates to nitrous oxide. 3. Addition of nitrous oxide to cells of R. capsulatus strain N22DNAR+ under darkness caused oxidation of both b- and c-type cytochromes. The oxidation of b cytochromes was less pronounced in the presence of myxothiazol, consistent with a role for the cytochrome bc1 complex in the electron pathway to nitrous oxide. Ferricyanide, in the absence of myxothiazol, caused a similar extent of oxidation of b cytochromes, but a greater oxidation of c-type, suggesting that there was a pool of c-type cytochrome that was not oxidisable by nitrous oxide. The time course showed that both the b- and c-type cytochromes were oxidised within a few seconds of the addition of nitrous oxide. During the following seconds there was a partial re-reduction of the cytochromes such that after approximately 1 min a lower steady-state of oxidation was attained and this persisted until the nitrous oxide was exhausted. 4. A mutant, MTCBC1, of R. capsulatus that specifically lacked a functional cytochrome bc1 complex reduced nitrous oxide, albeit at 30% of the rate shown by the parent strain MT1131. A reduced minus nitrous-oxide-oxidised difference spectrum for MTCBC1 in the absence of myxothiazol was similar to the corresponding difference spectrum observed for strain N22DNAR+ in the presence of myxothiazol. It is suggested that these difference spectra identify the cytochrome components, including a b-type, involved in a pathway that is alternative to, and independent of, the cytochrome bc1 complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The coupling between protonmotive force and the NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase in chromatophores from photosynthetic bacteria

1. The activity of NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase in chromatophores of Rhodobacter capsulatus relaxed from a high rate during illumination to a lower rate after darkening with a half-time of approximately 100 ms. 2. The dissipative ionic current flowing across the chromatophore membrane was increased in the presence of transhydrogenase substrates. This is attributed to proton current through the transhydrogenase enzyme. Subject to the assumption that transhydrogenase does not conduct in the absence of nucleotide substrates, the ratio of protons translocated across the membrane per hydride ion transferred was 0.4 +/- 0.5. Within the error and uncertainities in the calibration procedure, this ratio may be consistent with a stoichiometry of one but higher values seem unlikely. The ratio of hydride ion transferred in the transhydrogenase to electrons transferred through the cyclic electron transport system was approximately 0.2. 3. The Kappm values for the transhydrogenase substrates were determined for chromatophores in illuminated and darkened suspensions over a range of pH. These values are discussed in relation to the equivalent parameters reported for mitochondria transhydrogenase [Rydstrom, J. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 255, 9641-9646] and were used to calculate the concentrations of substrates which effectively saturate the enzyme. 4. At substrate concentrations which were in excess of 8 X Kappm the dependence of transhydrogenase rate on the value of the membrane potential (zero pH gradient) was determined at pH 6.3, 6.9, 7.6 and 9.0. The relation was similar at pH 6.9 and 7.6. At alkaline pH the apparent threshold in the relation became more prominent as it was shifted to slightly higher values of membrane potential. At acid pH a shift in the opposite direction diminished the apparent threshold and saturation at high membrane potential became more dominant. We use these data in an attempt to discriminate between two models of energy transduction: (a) the driving force exerted by the membrane potential is mediated by a pH gradient formed through the operation of a proton well in the transhydrogenase; (b) the membrane potential increases a rate constant for charge translocation through transhydrogenase by decreasing the effective height of the Eyring barrier for charge transfer across the membrane through the enzyme. The second model leads to a more simple description than the first of the pH dependence of transhydrogenase rate on membrane potential.4+ transhydrogenase activity in chromatopho

Performance characteristics of serologic tests for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antibody among Minnesota blood donors. Public health and clinical implications

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate performance characteristics of sequential enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blot human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antibody testing in a low-risk population.

DESIGN

Three-year prospective study of a selected sample from a community-based population.

SETTING

Two blood collection facilities in Minnesota.

POPULATION

Minnesota blood donors.

RESULTS

During the study period, 630,190 units of blood (donations) from an estimated 290,110 Minnesota-resident donors were screened for HIV-1 antibody. Seventeen Minnesota-resident donors were identified as positive for HIV-1 antibody. Sixteen donors were available for follow-up HIV-1 culture: all were culture positive. The other donor, who was not available for follow-up culture, was likely infected with HIV-1 based on a history of high-risk behavior and positive serologic findings for hepatitis B surface antigen. Using 95% binomial confidence intervals, performance characteristics for sequential EIA and Western blot HIV-1 antibody serology were as follows: false-positive rate by number of donations, 0% to 0.0006%; specificity by number of donations, 99.9994% to 100%; predictive value of a positive test, 81% to 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

In this low-risk population, the false-positive rate of serologic tests for HIV-1 antibody, using HIV-1 culture as the definitive standard for infection status, was extremely low and test specificity was extremely high.

Assessment of potential for cancer control by Golden State Medical Association physicians

To gather data on which to base the design of an intervention program to decrease cancer mortality in the black population of California, physician members of the Golden State Medical Association were surveyed to determine their current practices relating to early cancer detection and cancer prevention. Respondents' estimates of the proportions of their patients in various categories indicated that at least 60% to 70% of their patients were potential subjects for intensive early cancer detection and cancer prevention efforts. Thirty-four percent of respondents reported that they were performing early cancer detection examinations on all their patients. On the average, respondents estimated that about 70% of their patients (more than 80% of patients of primary care physicians) were receiving either routine check-ups or specific early cancer detection examinations. Patient education about various aspects of cancer and cancer prevention emerged as the most readily attainable means to reduce cancer mortality in blacks. It was most frequently mentioned both as something that physicians could do to help achieve this goal and as an outside resource physicians would find useful in their practices. Its lack was cited as the greatest barrier to early cancer detection and cancer prevention in the black population.

Absence of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs

In order to confirm the presence and determine the frequency of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) infection prior to antibody production, 23 healthy women with histories of repeated unprotected sexual exposure to HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs were tested for evidence of HIV-1 infection. Female subjects were tested for HIV-1 antibody (enzyme immunoassay [EIA] and Western blot), HIV-1 serum antigen, HIV-1 DNA gag sequences by the polymerase chain reaction, and HIV-1 virus isolation from peripheral mononuclear cells. Twenty-two of 23 (96%) women were negative by all HIV-1 assays. One woman was positive by all the HIV-1 assays including an EIA screening test for HIV-1 antibody. These preliminary results suggest that the frequency of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected individuals is probably very low.

Ecological Effects of a Major Oil Spill on Panamanian Coastal Marine Communities

In 1986 more than 8 million liters of crude oil spilled into a complex region of mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs just east of the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. This was the largest recorded spill into coastal habitats in the tropical Americas. Many population of plants and animals in both oiled and unoiled sites had been studied previously, thereby providing an unprecedented measure of ecological variation before the spill. Documenation of the spread of oil and its biological begun immediately. Intertidal mangroves, algae, and associated invertebrates were covered by oil and died soon after. More surprisingly, there was also extensive mortality of shallow subtidal reef corals and infauna of seagrass beds. After 1.5 years only some organisms in areas exposed to the open sea have recovered.

Hemophiliacs with HIV antibody are actively infected

Cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and assays for the p24 antigen were performed for a group of 75 unselected hemophiliacs to determine whether patients positive for HIV-1 antibody are actively infected rather than immunized by viral proteins in non-heat-treated factor VIII or IX concentrates. Fifty-six (75%) of the 75 hemophiliacs were antibody positive and 55 (98%) of the 56 with antibodies also had positive cultures. The one culture-negative individual had detectable HIV-1 proviral DNA sequences in three separate samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA, as detected by a polymerase chain reaction assay. Detection of serum p24 antigen and the time to development of a positive culture were significantly more frequent and shorter, respectively, in symptomatic vs asymptomatic patients. None of the 19 hemophiliacs negative for HIV-1 antibody had positive cultures, detectable p24 serum antigen, or symptoms of HIV-1 infection. Moreover, latent HIV-1 infection was not detected in 16 female sexual partners of hemophiliacs positive for HIV-1 antibody using Western blot testing, assays for p24 antigen, HIV-1 cultures, and polymerase chain reaction assays, despite repeated unprotected sexual exposure. We conclude that antibody-positive hemophiliacs have been actively infected by HIV-1 and that a long period of latent HIV-1 infection prior to overt seroconversion is unlikely.