Sequence comparisons of HTLV-I from HAM/TSP patients and their asymptomatic spouses.
We amplified and sequenced portions of the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) (U3), pol, env, and pX provirus regions (1212 bp per person) from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of two married couples (case 1 and case 2). Both husbands are patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), and the wives are asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers. We selected these regions because the LTR and env regions of murine retrovirus models have been involved in determining tissue tropism. In addition, the predominant immunogenic epitope for HTLV-I-specific cytotoxic T cells obtained from circulating PBL of HAM/TSP patients was localized in the HTLV-I pX region. Our aim was to examine variations in these HTLV-I regions between affected and asymptomatic spouses. In the HTLV-I regions studied, we detected no sequence variation between each couple. These data do not favor the hypothesis that neurotropic mutants of HTLV-I are involved in the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP.
Nishimura
M
M
Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
McFarlin
D E
DE
Jacobson
S
S
D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D016355:Genes, pX; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D000939:Epitopes; D004247:DNA