title: Detection and characterization of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) associated T-cell neoplasms in an HTLV-I nonendemic region by polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) associated adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) occurs endemically in southwestern Japan, the Caribbean, and West Africa, but occurs sporadically in most of the rest of the world. However, because ATLL and non-HTLV-I associated T-cell neoplasms share overlapping clinicopathologic features, the prevalence of ATLL in nonendemic regions is unknown. In this study, 75 T-cell neoplasms randomly procured from the metropolitan New York City area were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of integrated HTLV-I proviral sequences. HTLV-I genomic sequences were detected by PCR in 6 of the 75 cases (8%); this result was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. The clinicopathologic features of the HTLV-I positive and HTLV-I negative T-cell neoplasms were then compared. Although the clinicopathologic features of patients from these two groups overlapped, some findings were more commonly associated with HTLV-I positive neoplasms. Five of the six patients with HTLV-I positive neoplasms were from HTLV-I endemic areas, five were black, five were women, and five were less than 45 years of age, while the majority of the patients with HTLV-I negative T-cell malignancies were elderly white men. The incidence of hypercalcemia and lytic bone lesions was significantly more common among patients with HTLV-I positive T-cell neoplasms (P less than .001 and P = .004, respectively). The immunophenotypes of the HTLV-I positive and negative tumors were similar; however, all HTLV-I positive neoplasms were CD7 negative (P less than .001). In summary, our findings: (1) demonstrate the special clinicopathologic and immunophenotypic features of HTLV-I positive T-cell neoplasms, (2) suggest that most of the rare cases of HTLV-I-associated T-cell neoplasms occurring in HTLV-I nonendemic areas are actually endemic cases; and (3) that PCR is a sensitive, clinically useful technique for identifying HTLV-I associated T-cell neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chadburn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Athan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Knowles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009519:New York City; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes