JC virus, a human polyomavirus associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: additional biological characteristics and antigenic relationships.

JC virus, a human polyomavirus, failed to grow or produce cytopathic effects in any of a variety of cells tested other than primary human fetal glial (PHFG) cells. Cells tested included other primary human cells and glial cells from other animals. Only a rare cell in inoculated insusceptible human cell cultures produced T or virion antigen. In PHFG cell cultures JC virus produced subtle cytopathic effects, and the majority of progeny remained cell associated. Only a few cells in the heterogenous PHFG cell cultures contained T antigen at 24 h postinoculation, and virion antigen was not detected until 48 h postinoculation. The infectivity of JC virus was resistant to inactivation by ether and by heating at 50 degrees C for 1 h. A three-way minor antigenic relationship was demonstrated among the virion antigens of JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40 by neurtralization and/or hemagglutination inhibition tests. Serological evidence is presented for the existence of JC virus as a distinct entity before the use of simian virus 40-contaminated poliovirus vaccines and for the nonexistence of an animal reservoir for JC virus infection.