Type D retrovirus markers in healthy Africans from Guinea

Summary Sixteen matching sera and DNA samples from healthy African blood donors living in rural areas of Guinea were analysed for the presence of type D retrovirus markers. Screening for the antibodies against structural proteins of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) was carried out by Western blot with a purified M-PMV as an antigen. Eight out of 16 sera samples were found to contain antibodies against at least two gag genecoded proteins, and three of these were weakly positive against env gene-coded protein. Using PCR amplification and Southern hybridization, we detected M-PMV-like gag sequences in 11 out of 16 samples and env -related sequences in 8 out of 16 samples. Six DNAs were found to contain both M-PMV gag - and env -related sequences. Restriction endonudease analysis of the PCR-amplified gag sequences from two individuals and direct DNA sequencing analysis of the amplirners confirmed their M-PMV-like origin. Detection of antibodies and M-PMV-related sequences in blood donors from Guinea, but not m French or Algerian blood donors, indicated exogenous SRV infection in humans from certain geographic areas of Western Africa.