FRACTION OF LYSINE-RICH HISTONE THYMUS FACTOR (TF), METHOD FOR PREPARING THE FRACTION AND METHOD FOR DETECTING HUMAN ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFIENCY SYNDROME

摘要

1. A fraction of lysine-rich histone thymus factor (TF) of mammals, capable of precipitating when contacted with serum of a human, uninfected with HIV, forming one continuous precipitation spur on the gel after two-dimensional electrophoresis in relation to the location of -, 1- and 2- macroglobulins, and not capable of precipitating when contacted with serum of a human, infected with HIV, forming one continuous precipitation arch on the gel after two-dimensional electrophoresis in relation to the location of -, 1- and 2- macroglobulins. 2. A TF fraction of claim 1, wherein, when methylated or unmethylated, has a pH of between 7.64 and 8.6, a molecular weight of methylated TF is about 28 kilodalton as determined by 11% non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a molecular weight of unmethylated TF is about 35 kilodalton as determined by 11% non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and has an isoelectric point of about 5.6. 3. A method of obtaining TF fraction of claim 1, comprising extracting a lysine-rich histone fraction from mammalian thymus cell nuclei by means of pepsin, contacting the lysine-rich histone fraction with a cation exchange chromatographic material, eluting the TF protein with an effective aqueous salt solution and collecting the obtained fraction. 4. A method of claim 3, wherein the cation exchange chromatography is performed on a carboxymethyl column and the TF protein is eluted by applying a linear gradient of sodium chloride at pH 6.8. 5. A method for detecting acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a human, comprising collecting a biological sample from the subject, suspected for HIV, providing contacting of said sample with the fraction of claim 1, correlating precipitation patterns TF and aTF in a tested sample with the precipitation pattern TF and aTF obtained from a HIV infected human, by detecting localization products of precipitation respective to the zone of the location of -, 1- and 2- macroglobulins. wherein the absence of the spur precipitaion or the presence of the broken precipitation spur within or beyond the location of -, 1- and 2- macroglobulins proves the presence of HIV infection in a human.