DECREASED HOST CELL REACTIVATION OF UV-IRRADIATED ADENOVIRUS 5 BY FIBROBLASTS FROM COCKAYNE'S SYNDROME PATIENTS

Abstract— Over a period of 5 years, we performed 29 experiments in which survival curves of UV-irradiated adenovirus were determined using fibroblast strains from 10 normal persons and from 7 persons having Cockayne's syndrome. In all of these, the survival of UV-irradiated adenovirus 5 was less when assayed using monolayers of fibroblasts from Cockayne's syndrome patients than from normal persons. Survival curves using normal fibroblasts were, within error, straight lines on a log survival vs. linear fluence plot. Survival curves obtained using Cockayne's syndrome fibroblasts showed 2 components: an initial sensitive component, reflecting the behavior of approx. 75% of the infected cells, followed by a component having normal sensitivity. In the 28 experiments that were considered reliable, 58 curves were done using Cockayne's fibroblasts, 41 using normal human fibroblasts. Although experimental variation was encountered, there was no individual case in which sensitivity as measured using Cockayne's was equal to (or less than) the sensitivity measured using normal fibroblasts.