The present invention relates, first, to the discovery, identification, and characterization of novel nucleic acid molecules, that are associated with PBC, Sjögren's syndrome, scleroderma, SLE, autoimmune thyroiditis and various other connective tissue disorders. The novel nucleotide sequences of the present invention are retroviral in origin and are indicative of a PBC retrovirus which bears a strong correlation with PBC. The present invention is based, in part, on the Applicant's data which is the first evidence to suggest that PBC patient's tissue may harbor a transmissible agent. The association of a retroviral infectious agent with PBC was first demonstrated by Applicants in vitro by co-culture of periportal lymph nodes derived from patients at time of transplantation and healthy biliary epithelium cells. The Applicant's discoveries as described herein, report the characterization of PBC-associated infectious agent as retroviral as demonstrated by electron microscopy and immunoblot reactivity. In addition, Applicants have characterized novel nucleotide sequences which are associated with the PBC-associated retrovirus.
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