Serologic Discrimination of Human T Cell Lymphotropic Virus Infection by Using a Synthetic Peptide-Based Enzyme Immunoassay

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Abstract
Synthetic peptides corresponding with unique regions of the envelope glycoproteins (gp46) of human T cell Iymphotropic viruses (HTLVs)were used in an enzyme immunoassay to determine if HTLV-I and -II infections could bediscriminated. Two synthetic HTLV-Isequence-derived peptides, Env-1 (amino acids 191–215) and Env-5 (amino acids 242–257), reacted with 92% and 100% of the serum specimens (n = 52) from HTLV-I-infected persons, respectively. Although a small percentage (8.6%)of serum specimens from persons infected with HTLV-IIcross-reacted with Env-1, none of these specimens reacted with Env-5. Peptide Env-2 encoded by the envelope region ofHTLY-1I(amino acids 187–210)reacted with serum specimens from both HTLY-I(94%)and HTLV-II (74%)-infected patients, whereas Env-6, another HTLV-II peptide (amino acids 238–254), reacted with <6% of the specimens. Therefore, the Env-5 peptide with amino acid sequence SerProAsnValSerValProSerSerSerSerThrProLeuLeuTyr represents an immunodominant domain of HTLV-I that is recognized by serum antibodies from all HTLV-I-infected persons. Moreover, the Env-5-based ELISA allows a categorical distinction between the closely related HTLV-I and -II infections.

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