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An unusual human retrovirus was isolated from two patients with persistent generalized lymphadenopathy who originate from West-Central Africa and are currently residing in Belgium. Although the virus shared a number of the same biological and morphological properties as human immunodeficiency retrovirus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2, significant antigenic differences could be demonstrated. Several of the viral proteins also differed in molecular weight from the corresponding HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteins. Partial chemical cleavage of the most highly conserved viral proteins resulted in patterns which differed from those of HIV-1 and HIV-2. Furthermore, nucleic acid hybridization experiments were capable of discriminating between the virus types. Sequence analysis of the viral U3 region revealed a unique enhancer organization not found in other immunodeficiency viruses. The data indicated that the new isolate is more closely related to HIV-1 than to HIV-2 but clearly differs in a number of important respects.

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Fifty primigravidae were investigated from 30 weeks of gestation until 6 months after delivery to assess the predictive value of individual coping style, conception time and specific psychological changes during pregnancy for the depression levels assessed during the third trimester of pregnancy and 5 days, 6 weeks and 6 months after delivery. The individual coping style is an effective predictor of depression levels during the third trimester of pregnancy and 6 months after delivery, but not for the depression levels 5 days and 6 weeks after delivery. A path analysis revealed that high depressive coping and low social support-seeking predict a longer conception time, which all predict a more important lack of spousal support during pregnancy. Higher depressive coping, a longer conception time and a more important lack of spousal support during pregnancy all predict high depression levels 6 months after delivery. The present findings thus suggest helpful predictors for the psychological adaptation during the transition to parenthood.

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