Inhibition of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III in vitro by phosphonoformate

Abstract

Phosphonoformate, an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase in a number of retroviruses, was shown to have a dose-related inhibitory effect on human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) replication in the H9 cell line in vitro. HTLV-III replication was eliminated at a concentration of 680 mumol, a non-cytotoxic dose. A lower dose of 132 mumol inhibited HTLV-III replication by more than 98%, as measured by reverse transcriptase activity, compared with untreated infected cultures. Reverse transcriptase activity in HTLV-III particles was completely inhibited by 5.0 mumol phosphonoformate.

PIP: Phosphonoformate, an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase in a number of retroviruses, was shown to have a dose-related inhibitory effect on human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) replication in the H9 cell line in vitro. HTLV-III replication was eliminated at a concentration of 680 mcgmol, a noncytotoxic dose. A lower dose of 132 mcgmol inhibited HTLV-III replication by more than 98%, as measured by reverse transcriptase activity, compared with untreated infected cultures. Reverse transcriptase activity in HTLV-III particles was completely inhibited by 5 mcgmol of phosphonoformate. Growth of uninfected H9 cells was not affected by the concentration of the drug. In clinical trials to treat cytomegalovirus infection in immunocompromised patients, constant serum levels of between 100-450 mcgmol of phosphonoformate have been achieved in 140 subjects. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the potential of phosphonoformate in patients infected with HTLV-III. It may be the least toxic of the antiviral agents that have been shown to have anti-HTLV-III activity.