Increased human T lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bronchoalveolar lavage cells from Japanese patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy.
Human T lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is endemic in tropical areas and in southwestern Japan, and has now been identified among risk groups in the United States and some European countries. Patients with HAM/TSP may also have T lymphocyte alveolitis related to the HTLV-1 infection. To quantify proportions of HTLV-1-infected cells, a fragment of HTLV-1 proviral DNA was amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells obtained from patients with HAM/TSP, non-HAM/TSP HTLV-1 carriers with chronic pulmonary inflammation, and asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. The proportion of HTLV-1-infected cells in PBMC from patients with HAM/TSP was much higher (3-30%) than that from asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (mostly < 1%), based on findings with the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In non-HAM/TSP carriers with chronic pulmonary inflammation, HTLV-1-infected cells in PBMC were also increased, but not as markedly as that seen in patients with HAM/TSP. Integration of HTLV-1 was also noted in BAL cells from patients with HAM/TSP or non-HAM/TSP carriers with chronic pulmonary inflammation. However, in patients with HAM/TSP, there was a marked increase in HTLV-1-infected cells in the lung (7.5-30% of BAL cells), as compared with findings in non-HAM/TSP carriers (< 5%). These results suggest that increased HTLV-1 proviral DNA loading may play an important role in the development of T lymphocyte alveolitis and myelopathy in patients with HAM/TSP.
Mita
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Sugimoto
M
M
Nakamura
M
M
Murakami
T
T
Tokunaga
M
M
Uyama
E
E
Araki
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D015752:Genes, env; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004279:DNA, Viral