INACTIVATION OF FREE AND CELL-ASSOCIATED HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS IN PLATELET SUSPENSIONS BY AMINOMETHYLTRIMETHYLPSORALEN AND ULTRAVIOLET-LIGHT

Background: It has previously been reported that 40 mu g per mL of aminomethyltrimethylpsoralen (AMT) plus 2.4 to 7.2 J per cm(2) of ultraviolet A (UVA) light inactivated 4 to 6 log(10) of several model viruses in platelet suspensions. This inactivation was achieved while satisfactory levels of platelet count, pH, morphology, aggregation, and hemostatic effectiveness were maintained. Study Design and Methods: The efficacy of this procedure for inactivating free and intracellular human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), including integrated proviral sequences, was studied. Results: The kinetics of inactivation for free HIV (4-5 log(10) kill with 1.2-4.8 J/cm(2)) were similar to those obtained for the previously studied viruses. For studies on cell-associated virus, H9 cells productively infected with HIV were added to platelet suspensions and treated with the above regimen of AMT and UVA. The phototreated cells were then cocultivated with uninfected H9 cells for 4 weeks and supernatants were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for HIV p24. No evidence of HIV replication was detectable for cells receiving as little as 2.4 J per cm(2) of UVA irradiation in the presence of AMT. Further, it has been demonstrated that stably integrated sequences from the HIV proviral env gene can no longer be amplified by polymerase chain reaction after 1.2 J per cm(2) of UVA (with 40 mu g/mL AMT) exposure. Conclusion: These data suggest that AMT and UVA is an effective antiviral treatment for free and cell-associated HIV in platelet suspensions. TRANSFUSION 1994;34:680-684.