RETHINKING AIDS HOMEPAGE
A CRITIQUE OF THE EVIDENCE
FOR THE ISOLATION OF HIV
A SUMMARY OF THE VIEWS OF PAPADOPULOS ET. AL.
The proposal that AIDS is caused by a unique, infectious
retrovirus requires proof for the existence of such a
retrovirus. Since the announcement of the discovery of certain
laboratory phenomena claimed as proof of the existence of HIV we
have critically analysed the data and have always maintained
that no such proof exists [1-11].
A virus is a microscopic particle of particular size and shape
(morphology) which contains particular constituents (biochemical
properties) and which is able to replicate only at the behest of
living protoplasm, that is, a virus is an obligatory
intracellular parasite. Replication of a virus-like particle is
the property which defines the particle as being infectious,
that is, virus-like particle + replication = virus. These
defining data determine that the only way to prove the existence
of a novel (new) virus is to (i) isolate viral-like particles,
that is, first obtain the particles separate from everything
else; (ii) determine their morphological characteristics; (iii)
analyse their constituents (nucleic acid and proteins)
demonstrating that such properties are those of retroviruses and
are unique; (iv) prove that the particles are infectious, that
is, when pure particles are introduced into non-infected cell
cultures, new but identical particles appear. Only then can the
viral-like particles be deemed to a virus. In the case of
retroviruses, the steps in this procedure were developed over
the half century that preceded the AIDS era and are described in
Toplin and Sinoussi. [12,13]. These steps are:
1. Culture of putatively infected cells demonstrating that
such cultures contain retroviral-like particles, that is,
particles virtually spherical in shape with a diameter of
100-120nM and with "condensed inner bodies (cores)" and
surfaces "studded with projections (knobs)" [14].
2. Purification of a sample by ultracentrifugation through a
sucrose density gradient. A test tube containing a solution
of sucrose, ordinary table sugar, is prepared light at the
top but gradually becoming heavier towards the bottom. A
drop of supernatant (decanted) cell culture fluid is gently
placed on top of the sucrose column and the test-tube is
centrifuged for several hours at extremely high speeds. This
generates tremendous forces forcing any particles present
through the sugar solution until they reach a point where
their buoyancy prevents further penetration. For retroviral
particles this occurs where the density of the sucrose
solution reaches 1.16 gm/ml. At this the point the particles
concentrate or, to use virological terminology, this is
where the particles band. The 1.1 band is then selectively
extracted for further analysis.
3. Using the electron microscope (EM), photograph the 1.16
band proving there are particles of the correct morphology
and no other material.
4. Disrupt and analyse the constituents of such particles.
5. Introduce pure particles into a virgin culture and, by
repeating the above steps, prove that identical particles
are produced.
To date, many electron micrographs of particles claimed to be
retrovirus-like have been published. However, not one of these
micrographs demonstrates particles satisfying both main
morphological features of retroviral particles, that is, a
diameter of 100-120nM and a surface studded with knobs. (HIV
researchers are unanimous that the knobs contain a protein,
gp120, which is essential for the first step in infection and
replication, that is, for the particle to fuse with the membrane
of an uninfected cell in order that the HIV particle with its
'HIV RNA" gains access to the interior of the cell [15].
To prove the existence of HIV, both Montagnier's group in 1983
and Gallo's group in 1984 banded supernatant in sucrose density
gradients. However, until March 1997, for unknown reasons,
neither these groups nor anyone else had ever published an
electron micrograph of the banded (purified) material to show
which if any of the many different variety of particles seen in
gross cell cultures [20] are present at 1.16 gm/ml. Indeed,
until March this year it was not possible to know whether any
structured material whatsoever was present at the density which
defines retroviral particles. Nonetheless, from the time of the
Montagnier and Gallo studies [16,17], the material from culture
supernatants banding at 1.16 gm/ml has been regarded as pure HIV
particles. Acting on this premis, the proteins which are present
in this band and which react with antibodies present in the sera
of AIDS patients are claimed to be the HIV proteins and the
antibodies reacting with such proteins the HIV antibodies.
Similarly, a particular portion of the RNA banding at 1.16 gm/ml
is claimed to be the HIV genome. All these conclusions were
drawn without ever proving that the proteins and RNA are
structural elements of a particle, viral-like, retroviral-like
or any other particle of any other kind, that is, without any
scientific basis.
New Data
This March, two papers [18,19] were published with electron
micrographs of sucrose density gradient banded material. In one
of these papers the authors confirmed that:
"Virus to be used for biochemical and serological [using
"viral" proteins to test for antibodies in patients]
analyses or as an immunogen [to produce antibodies in
animals and test patients for "viral" proteins] is
frequently prepared by centrifugation through sucrose
density gradients. The fractions containing viral antigen
[proteins] and/or infectivity are considered to contain a
population of relatively pure viral particles" [19] (italics
ours).
However, to the contrary, the data in these papers support our
claim that the existence of HIV is unproven:
1. The authors of both papers concede that the particles which
are present in the banded material and which are said to be HIV
represent only a very small fraction of the total material.
Gelderblom et al. state that the material contains "an excess of
[cellular] vesicles with a size range 50-500nm, as opposed to a
minor population of virus particles...cellular vesicles
appear...to be a major contaminant of HIV preparations enriched
by sucrose gradient centrifugation".
2. For the small number of particles deemed to be "HIV" no
evidence is given that they are even a retrovirus-like particle.
Indeed, to the contrary:
(a) the particles do not appear to have surface spikes (knobs),
although the possibility that such projections may be present
cannot be excluded. (However, in other papers published by many
researchers including Gelderblom and his associates such
projections are noted to be absent [14,20];
(b) the particles referred to as "HIV" are not spherical and
have diameters exceeding 100-120 nM. In the EM in Gluschankof et
al. [19] there are arrows pointing to five "HIV" particles
devoid of surface projections whose dimensions are 121 X 145;
121 X 169; 121 X 145, 121 X 145 and 133 X 145 nM respectively.
In Bess et al. [18] there are a total of six "HIV particles"
also devoid of surface projections whose dimensions are 160 X
240; 200 X 240; 280 X 280; 208 X 250; 167 X 250 and 250 X 292
and nM respectively.
Thus, by definition, the particles cannot be retroviral-like
particles and even less, a unique retrovirus, HIV. Furthermore,
the particles noted by Gluschankof et al. and Bess et al. cannot
be the same particle. Indeed, the method adopted by all HIV
researchers for proving the existence of HIV, that is, excluding
proof based on purification of particles with retroviral
morphology shown capable of faithful replication but rather by
detection of antibody/protein reactions, does not satisfy any
scientific principle and defies common sense.
Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos
Department of Medical Physics
Royal Perth Hospital
Perth, Western Australia
August 1997
Voice int + 618 92243221
Fax int + 618 92243511
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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RETHINKING AIDS HOMEPAGE
