[Detection of HTLV-I proviral DNA by PCR method from bronchoalveolar lavage cells of HTLV-I carriers].
To elucidate whether or not human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infected cells exist in the lungs of HTLV-I carriers, we examined bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells for the presence of HTLV-I proviral DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The cells were harvested from HTLV-I seropositive individuals with or without various respiratory diseases. The HTLV-I pX region was detected from separated BAL cells by dot blot hybridization after PCR in all 14 HTLV-I seropositive individuals tested. Four out of these 14 individuals were asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers, while the other ten had symptoms, including those of bacterial pneumonia, chronic respiratory tract infection, interstitial pneumonia, atypical mycobacterial infection, bronchitis, mediastinal lymphadenitis and bronchial asthma. HTLV-I proviral DAN was detected in BAL cells from patients with a normal proportion of lavage lymphocytes and a normal CD4/CD8 ratio. These findings suggest that HTLV-I infected cells may commonly exist in the lower respiratory tract and alveolar space without producing characteristic symptoms/signs, and that any causal relation to the pulmonary lesion must therefore be carefully elucidated, in HTLV-I carriers.
Mori
S
S
Department of Internal Medicine, Minamikyusyu Hospital National Sanatorium, Kagoshima, Japan.
Fukunaga
H
H
Maruyama
I
I
Takaoka
T
T
Koreeda
Y
Y
Iwami
F
F
Hirotsu
Y
Y
Mizoguchi
A
A
Kawabata
S
S
Osame
M
M
D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004279:DNA, Viral