Post-mortem diagnosis of human T lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) associated myelopathy by detection of HTLV-1 DNA in the spinal cord of a patient with post-transfusional myelopathy.
Human T lymphotrophic virus type-1(HTLV-1) is thought to be an etiological agent of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM). Therefore, a definitive diagnosis of HAM can not be made if information on the presence of antibody against HTLV-1 is not available, even though clinical and histopathological features strongly indicate the disease. In this study, HTLV-1 DNA was detected in the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded spinal cord of an autopsy case with post-transfusional myelopathy using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ante-mortem HAM was not suspected of and the antibody has not been examined. Neuropathological examination of the sequential sections revealed a loss of axons and myelin sheaths in the white matter, resembling the histopathology of HAM. The post-mortem detection of HTLV-1 DNA by PCR may be useful for the confirmation of HAM in cases which were not provided with appropriate clinical data.
Namba
Y
Y
Department of Neuropathology, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Oka
S
S
Shimada
K
K
Nakano
I
I
Murayama
S
S
Kimura
S
S
Mannen
T
T
D001344:Autopsy; D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D015342:DNA Probes; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded