Development and Evaluation of Adeno-HTLV-III Hybrid Virus and Non-Cytopathic HTLV-III Mutant for Vaccine Use

a recombinant adeno-HIV virus and vaccinia-HIV hybrid
virus. Assessment of vaccine efficacy against vaccine
virus challenge includes T4/T8 ratios, HIV serology,
and ability to detect infectious HIV virus in peripheral
blood cells. T cell mediated immune responses will-be
monitored by cytotQxic T cell activity and antigeninduced cellular proliferation.
B. Background:
AIDS is a recently identified disease characterised by increasing deficiencies in the body's cell
mediated immune response in previously normal patients
(3). A reduction in the number of helper T lymphocytes
(OKT4+) is usually involved and is accompanied by
multiple opportunistic infectious and/or malagancies
(7). A syndrome designated AIDS related complex (ARC)
has been identified in groups at risk. The dominant
clinical expression in ARC is unexplained chronic
lymphadenopathy or leukopenia involving a reduction in
ORT4+ cells. Minor cutaneous infections, diarrhea,
weight lops and fever may be associated with ARC (8).
Results from research scientists in France and the
United States strongly suggest that a previously unknown
virus now called HIV I is the primary aetiological
agent of AIDS. Western Blot analysis reveals that AIDS
and ARC patients serum contains antibodies to all or
some of HIV proteins (9).
Chimpanzee'is the only non-human primate known to
be susceptible to infection with RIV (4,5). Infected
chimpanzees develop a transient severe lymphoadenopathy. Virus can be recovered from peripheral blood
lymphocytes and bone marrow but not the plasma, saliva
or cerebralepinal fluid (10). Although all RiV inoculated chimps remain persistently infected, a persistent
decrease in TA+ cells does not develop and the chimpanzees remain clinically well (11).
Preliminary experiments by Dr. Daniel Zagury
indicated that Africian Green monkeys (C. aethiop )
infected with liV virus by intraperitonetal(P) njection develop viral infection. Some animals showed
evidence of infection as detected by reverse transcriptase activity, ability to transmit RIV infection to
peripheral blood lymphocytes and the presence of RliV
genome in their peripheral blood lymphocytes. Some
monkeys had a serum antibody response.o HiV. Because
not all of infected animals could be shown to be
infected, this model requires further characterization.
When a foreign body invades the body, a variety of
immune reponsesr including antibody and cytotoxic T
cells, can be induced. In order to be successful, a