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From: rpetsche@mrg.PHYS.CWRU.Edu (rolfe g petschek)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: (3128) HIV -- early strains
Message-ID: <1991May7.023109.28961@cs.ucla.edu>
Date: 6 May 91 20:26:55 GMT
References: <1991May5.090755.6244@cs.ucla.edu> <1991May6.184309.10414@cs.ucla.edu>
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In article <1991May6.184309.10414@cs.ucla.edu> scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker) writes:
>In article <1991May5.090755.6244@cs.ucla.edu> IQTI400%INDYCMS.BITNET@mvs.oac.ucla.edu (MacPhil) writes:
>>There are a number for stories, varying in degrees of believability,
>>which have surfaced in pursuit of a "Patient Zero" (the first human
>>to be determined to have contracted the disease, regardless of how).

I believe that I learned (actually in this news group)
A British sailor died in the late 1950's of a unknown disease in a
hospital in Britian.  This hospital routinely saves tissue samples and a
physician at that hospital remembered this recently and recalled its
similarity to the current profile of HIV.  Four tissue samples were
made, two from this patient and two from a patient who died about the
same time in an automobile accident.  One of each kind of sample, with a
'doubly blind' label was given to each of two laboratories.  Each of
these laboratories analyzed the samples using PCR (polymerase chain
reaction) a scheme which grossly amplifies certian genomic (DNA or RNA)
material, in this case a portion of the HIV genome - provided it is
present in each of the original samples.  [Incidently this is also
another but more expensive way to test for HIV and will, in principle,
detect HIV exposure prior to seroconversion].  DNA from the samples was
then analyzed in various ways [probably by hybridization to a
radioactive probe of the relevant portion of the HIV genome].  The
sailor's tissue was found, in both labs (after comparison with the 'key'
to be HIV+, that of the accident victim to be HIV-.  This argues that
HIV was around in the late '50's, at least in some populations.

Sorry not to give references but this should not be hard to find.
--
Rolfe G. Petschek			Petschek@cwru.bitnet
Associate Professor of Physics		rgp@po.cwru.edu
Case Western Reserve University		(216)368-4035 
Cleveland Oh 44106-2623