title: Increased HTLV-I proviral DNA in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy: a quantitative polymerase chain reaction study.
abstract: Using the polymerase chain reaction, we quantitated the amount of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 18 patients with HTLV-I--associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis; 17 HTLV-I carriers without HTLV-I--associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, with or without other autoimmune or inflammatory diseases; and 19 seronegative control subjects. The HTLV-I proviral DNA was 10- to 100-fold higher in the patients and in the HTLV-I carriers without HAM/TSP who had autoimmune or inflammatory diseases than in the carriers without autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. The patients who had had onset of myelopathy at a younger age (15 to 39 years) had an extremely high level of HTLV-I proviral DNA in the early phase, as compared with findings in those with a late onset of myelopathy (at 44 to 61 years). The large increase in HTLV-I proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is presumably closely related to the development of autoimmune or inflammatory processes in HTLV-I carriers, including HTLV-I--associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kira
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoyama
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral