More on Partitioning and Inactivation of AIDS Virus in Immune Globulin Preparations

Abstract

To the Editor: Prince et al. (Feb. 6 issue)¹ recently expressed concern that human T-cell lymphotropic virus Type III (HTLV-III) could be transmitted by intravenous immune globulin preparations. They suggested that conditions used to make intermediate Cohn–Oncley fractions did not inactivate spiked HTLV-III; however, they did not study partitioning of HTLV-III into the various fractions. We recently reported² the results of such studies.HTLV-III was spiked into the various Cohn–Oncley fractions, and its partitioning between precipitates and supernatants, as well as inactivation, was studied by viral cultures and quantitative antigen measurements by antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These studies showed . . .