Semiquantitative analysis of integrated genomes of human T-lymphotropic virus type I in asymptomatic virus carriers.
A semiquantitative estimation of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) integration by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was performed. Genomic DNA samples derived from 134 HTLV-I carriers were subjected to 40 or 60 cycles of the polymerase chain reaction to amplify the pol region of HTLV-I. The HTLV-I genome was detected by dot hybridization using a 32P-labeled oligonucleotide probe for the pol region. The radioactivity of hybridized dot membranes was then counted with an RI Imaging System (Ambis Inc, San Diego, CA) and the HTLV-I genome dose was determined by comparison with standard curve for serially diluted HTLV-I genome-positive DNA. A wide range of variation of HTLV-I genome integration was observed. When the integrated genome dose was calculated as the number of HTLV-I copies per 100 PBMC, 7 carriers (5%) had more than 10 copies, 56 (42%) had 1 to 10 copies, 46 (34%) had 0.1 to 1 copy, and 24 (18%) had less than 0.1 copy. In one sample, the HTLV-I genome was undetectable, which may indicate that the integrated genome was present at less than 0.01 copies per 100 PBMC. Age- or sex-related variations in the distribution of individuals with different HTLV-I genome were rather limited. However, carriers with a high level of the HTLV-I genome were always more than 30 years old and were predominantly male (six of seven).
Department of Oncology, Hematology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
O
O
Shinzato
S
S
Ikeda
S
S
Momita
Y
Y
Nagata
S
S
Kamihira
E
E
Nakayama
H
H
Shiku
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections; D015752:Genes, env; D015750:Genes, gag; D016355:Genes, pX; D015751:Genes, pol; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral