First Pictures of "PURE HIV"

By Robert Johnston & Carl Strygg
HEAL Toronto

Has HIV really been isolated?

Two historic papers in the leading science journal Virology in March 1997^1,2 provide astonishing data on the alleged purification and isolation of HIV. For the first time in the history of AIDS, elusive electron microscope images of 'HIV' collected or 'banded' at the official density required for retroviruses, 1.16 gm/ml, were published. The electronmicrographs (EMs) disclose "major contaminants" in "pure HIV". In the example below (fig.1), note that the arrows labeled 'V' point to the few particles that are "retrovirus- like".

The authors of these studies concede that their pictures reveal the vast majority of the material in the density gradient is cellular contamination. HIV expert Hans Gelderblom of Berlin's Robert Koch Institute, whose photos of non-banded 'HIV' material have been the industrial benchmark since 1987, co-authored the first paper which describes the contamination as "an excess of vesicles" - particles of cellular proteins, that may contain DNA or RNA. In a consecutive paper, a U.S. research team from the AIDS Vaccine Program in Maryland reveal carefully, "It is unknown how these cellular proteins associate with the virus" and warn, "The presence of microvesicles in purified retroviruses has practical implications". Both teams discuss the resulting nonspecifity of HIV tests, all of which are based on early unchecked "purified HIV".

Eleni Papadodulos-Eleopulos a biophysicist from Australia's Department of Medical Physics, Royal Perth Hospital, has this to say about the retroviral-like particles in the recent EM photos, "They bear only the vaguest resemblance to retroviral particles. For sure they look more like retroviral particles than all the other particles and material but even if they looked identical to retroviral particles you cannot say they are a retrovirus. Even Gallo admits to the existence of particles which band at 1.16 gm/ml and which have the appearances and biochemical properties of retroviruses but which are not retroviruses because they are incapable of replicating."³

By contrast, the following picture (fig.2) of the Friend virus⁴ shows, at a magnification of 19500 x, an almost pure population of typical "type C" viruses (not yet called retrovirus in 1965). Three arrows point at contaminating debris and microvesicles. The interpretation was that virus purification was satisfactory and that contamination rate was extremely low.

Dangerously enough, EM was progressively dismissed in retrovirus research after 1970. Molecular biologists started to rely exclusively on various "markers", and what was sedimenting in sucrose gradient at density 1.16 gm/ml was regarded as "pure virus". It is only in 1997, after fifteen years of intensive HIV research, that elementary EM controls were performed, with the disastrous results recently reviewed in Continuum.^5,6

The EM imaging step in attempts at retroviral isolation was deemed essential when isolation procedure was discussed and decided at the Pasteur Institute, Paris in 1972. It is incredible that an EM claimed to be of "purified HIV" had never been published before 1997 in the 15-year history of "HIV".

The pictures of "the virus" that we are shown are either clipped from EMs of unidentified particles in unpurified cell culture or artists' impressions and computer simulations. They are not proof of the isolation of "HIV" itself."

Figure 3: EM photo of very small particles in ultrathin cell-line section. The particles are claimed to be HIV, but are cellular and not viral particles (they are normally refered to as 'virus-like particles', 'microvesicles' and 'microsomes'). The debris on the lower left part of the photo indicates that the particles are not purified or isolated. These photos are published without any evidence that they show infectious viral particles ⁷.

Figure 4: Computer enhanched EM photo of a cell surrounded by small particles. These kind photographs are published without any evidence that the particles have a viral origin. The blue/grey stained particles, which are claimed to be HIV particles attacking or (depending on the publication) leaving a white blot cell, are artefacts of the staining and/or fixation process and at best may be cellular particles entering or leaving the cell (in a well known process called endo-/ or exocytosis) ⁷.

Figure 5: HIV researchers believe the AIDS virus looks like this cartoon; like a bomb or water (blood) mine. This model is based on a collection of proteins of various size (no other characterization!) HIV researchers speculate represent parts of HIV according to their concept of retroviruses and what they should look like. ⁷

Figure 6: Office art for HIV researchers.

References:

1. Gluschankof et al. Cell Membrane Vesicles Are a Major Contaminant of Gradient-Enriched Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Preparations. Virology; 230(1): 125-133 (1997)

2. Bess et al. Microvesicles Are a Source of Contaminated Cellular Proteins Found in Purified HIV-1 Preparations. Virology; 230(1): 134-144 (1997)

3. Johnson, C. IS HIV THE CAUSE OF AIDS?:An interview with Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos, Continuum Autumn 1997 Vol 5 no 1

4. De Harven, E.* Viremia in Friend Leukemia: the electron microscope approach to the problem, Pathologie-Biologie; vol 13: 125-134 (1965)

5. De Harven, E. PIONEER DEPLORES HIV, Continuum Winter 1997 Vol 5 no 2

6. Continuum Vol 5 nos 1-3

7. Stefan Lanka, HIV Pictures; What they really show
*Member of The Group for the Reappraisal of the HIV/AIDS Hypothesis
Prof. Emerit. (Pathology) University of Toronto