Cross-Reactivity between T Antigens of Adenoviral Immunotypes of Proved and Currently Unproved Oncogenic Potential

Abstract

A survey of the 31 human adenovirus immunotypes and certain oncogenic simian adenoviruses was made using the indirect fluorescent antibody technique to determine how many produced a T antigen which would react with the antibody contained in adenovirus types 7 and 12 TBHS. It was found that all 31 immunotypes of adenoviruses produced an antigen that would react with a 1:20 dilution of one or more individual sera or with pools of serum from tumor-bearing hamsters. Serial dilutions of the intermediate sera or pools of sera indicated that the known oncogenic adenovirus immunotypes apparently fall into two distinct groups. One group, consisting of types 12, 18 and 31, produce T antigens which react in most cases only with dilutions of serum from hamsters bearing tumors induced by adenovirus type 12. The other group, comprised of types 3, 7, 14, 16 and 21, produced T antigens which react with serum dilutions from hamsters with tumors produced by either type 7 or type 12 adenovirus.