RAPID INACTIVATION OF HIV-1 IN SINGLE-DONOR PREPARATIONS OF HUMAN FRESH-FROZEN PLASMA BY METHYLENE-BLUE LIGHT TREATMENT

Human fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was spiked with highly titered HIV-I a nd illuminated with visible light in the presence of 1 mu M of the pho toactive dye methylene blue (MB). As shown by titration on MT-4 cells, the infectivity of the virus containing plasma was rapidly lost durin g illumination: after 5 min the infective titer was reduced by 4.3 and after 10 min by at least 6.32 log(10), i.e. it was below the detectio n limit of the assay applied. Methylene blue without illumination and illumination alone had only a marginal effect on HIV-I infectivity. Th us our data indicate that the MB/light treatment of FFP is an effectiv e method to eliminate the risk of HIV-1 infection through use of the p roduct. This is especially important for those cases in which the plas ma is collected during the 'window period' between infection of the do nor and the subsequent seroconversion.