Abstract
Abstract
Activation of humoral immune responsiveness to the baboon endogenous type C virus (BaEV) and its viral-specific envelope glycoprotein gp71, as well as activation of gp71 itself, was experimentally accomplished in baboons by inoculating fetal bovine serum (FBS) or horse serum (HS) plus Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) or by cellular and viral antigens plus FCA, but not by FCA alone. Activated gp71 and anti-gp71 existed both as free and as immune complexes in baboon sera. Specificity of observed reactivities was supported by use of highly purified antigens in the radioimmunoprecipitation (RIP) and radioimmunoassay (RIA), employing iodinated FBS as antigen in the RIP assay, and absorption studies of BaEV-positive sera. These data suggest in vivo activation of BaEV or its structural component gp71 by an immune response to nonviral antigens.
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