title: Search for human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral sequences by polymerase chain reaction in the central nervous system tissue of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
abstract: Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), proviral DNA sequences of the pol and env regions of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) were directly amplified in paraffin-embedded and frozen tissue sections of active inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) lesions in three autopsy cases of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) with serological confirmation. In parallel, the enumeration of UCHL-1 (monoclonal antibody reactive to T-cells) positive cells in the tissue sections subjected to PCR were carried out. Although the control DNA sequence of parathyroid hormone-like peptide gene was definitely amplified, no signals for HTLV-I proviral sequences were detected in these specimens. The number of UCHL-1 positive cell nuclei was almost on the border line of our PCR sensitivity in formalin-fixed tissue, which was estimated to be 20-200 copies. Therefore, it is unlikely that the central nervous system tissue damage in HAM/TSP is a consequence of productive infection of HTLV-I in the CNS tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izumo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015751:Genes, pol / Q000235:genetics; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016612:Paraffin Embedding / Q000379:methods; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral