RETROVIRAL TRANSMISSION IN BONE ALLOTRANSPLANTATION - THE EFFECTS OF TISSUE PROCESSING

The transmission of a retrovirus through transplantation of processed bone allografts was studied using the feline leukemia virus, The long bones of 4 previously infected donor cats were harvested and assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: single freeze/thaw cycle, double freeze/th aw cycle, or double freeze/thaw cycle with water flush to remove bone marrow Cortical bone grafts and corticocancellous bone grafts from eac h treatment group were transplanted into individual specific-pathogen- free recipients, Samples of plasma were obtained weekly from all recip ients and were tested with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to det ect viral antigen, For animals that tested consistently negative for v iral antigen, plasma samples also were tested for antiviral antibody t o feline leukemia virus measured by live cell immunofluorescence, The results of the antigen and antibody testing revealed that all of the c ortical and corticocancellous bone allografts in each of the 3 treatme nt groups transmitted virus, The ability of the treated bone allograft s to transmit a feline retrovirus suggests that routine processing and removal of bone marrow may not inhibit their ability to transmit othe r retroviruses, such as the human immunodeficiency virus.