Evaluation of antiviral drugs and neutralizing antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus by a rapid and sensitive microtiter infection assay

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Abstract
A 96-well microtiter infection assay for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is described. The assay utilizes human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I-immortalized MT-2 cells as targets for infection and requires only 4 to 5 days for completion. Cytolysis was quantitated by vital dye uptake of poly-L-lysine-adhered cells as an endpoint for infection. The assay''s efficacy was proven by the sensitive and accurate assessment of several known anti-HIV agents including two inhibitors of reverse transcription (3''-azido-3''-deoxythymidine and 2'',3''-dideoxycytidine), three biological response modifiers (recombinant interferons .alpha. and .beta. and mismatched double-stranded RNA), a direct inactivator of HIV virions (amphotericin B), and neutralizing antibodies from two HIV-positive human subjects. Evaluation of data was facilitated by computer-assisted analysis. This assay provides a means for rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive large-scale in vitro testing of potential anti-HIV therapeutic regimens and quantitation of HIV-neutralizing antibody titers.