Antiviral immune response after autologous transfusions and challenge infection.

(A) Seroreactivity of the animals was analyzed by ELISA using purified virus particles as antigen and plasma dilutions of 1:200. Preimmune sera (indicated at time point 0) did not show relevant background reactivity. As examples, the time courses for the animals Mf6490 and Mf406 are shown. The sera after autologous transfusion (Tr1 and Tr2) were either negative or produced weak signals. In animal Mf6490, an unstable antibody response was observed shortly after the second transfusion. After challenge infection (Inf), the protected animals rapidly developed strong seroreactivity. (B) To confirm the ELISA results, Western blot strips analyses carrying virion proteins were stained with 1:200 diluted plasma samples from monkeys Mm7067 and Mf6490 after autologous T-cell transfusion (Tr1 and Tr2) or challenge infection (Inf), respectively. The time points of plasma preparations are given in months after transfusion or infection. The animals Mf6311 and Mf6698 had similar levels of reactive antibodies at equivalent time points. (C) T-cell proliferation tests were performed during the time course of the autologous transfusions. Two weeks after the first transfusion (Tr1), T cells from the blood of 3 out of 4 animals showed proliferative reactivity against inactivated virus particles as an antigen, as demonstrated by the stimulation index of tritium thymidine incorporation assays.