Detection of HTLV-I provirus by in situ polymerase chain reaction in mononuclear inflammatory cells in skeletal muscle of viral carriers with polymyositis.
We tested for HTLV-I proviral DNA in skeletal muscle from patients with polymyositis infected with HTLV-I using the in situ polymerase chain reaction. We found the HTLV-I provirus in some of the CD4-positive cells in HTLV-I-positive polymyositis cases but not in HTLV-I-negative polymyositis ones. We could not detect HTLV-I within the muscle fibers. We suggest that HTLV-I-associated polymyositis is not due to direct, persistent infection of the muscle fiber by the virus, but to a T-cell-mediated immunological process triggered by the HTLV-I-infected cells.
Higuchi
I
I
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Hashimoto
K
K
Kashio
N
N
Izumo
S
S
Inose
M
M
Izumi
K
K
Ohkubo
R
R
Nakagawa
M
M
Arimura
K
K
Osame
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000821:virology*; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*
D004279:DNA, Viral