MOESM3 of HTLV-1 CTCF-binding site is dispensable for in vitro immortalization and persistent infection in vivo

Additional file 3: Fig. S3. There is a positive correlation between HTLV-1-specific antibody response and Gag/Pol gene expression in HTLV-1∆CTCF-infected rabbits. A Pearson Correlation was performed between the HTLV-1-specific antibody response and Gag/Pol gene expression for HTLV-1 (A), HTLV-1p12Stop (B), and HTLV-1∆CTCF (c) at weeks 4, 8, and 12 post-infection. A statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) was not found at any time point, but HTLV-1∆CTCF showed a strong positive correlation between HTLV-1-specific antibody response and Gag/Pol gene expression at weeks 8 and 12. Comparatively, HTLV-1 and HTLV-1p12Stop had weakly positive to negative correlations at weeks 8 and 12. While not statistically significant, this finding may suggest that the decrease in HTLV-1-specific antibody response for HTLV-1∆CTCF at week 12 may be the result of decreased Gag/Pol gene expression.