Failure to detect human T-lymphotropic virus type-I proviral DNA in cell lines and tissues from patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Previous molecular studies investigating the presence of HTLV-I proviral DNA in cell lines and tissue samples of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) have reported a detection rate ranging from 0-92%. Despite the lack of epidemiologic data linking HTLV-I infection with CTCL, the molecular data still invite speculation regarding the precise role of HTLV-I in the pathogenesis of CTCL. To determine the detection rate of HTLV-I proviral DNA among CTCL patients referred to our medical center, we analyzed Epstein-Barr virus-transformed cell lines established from peripheral blood of seven CTCL patients and 43 tissue samples from 22 patients with different stages of disease. Genomic DNA was polymerase chain reaction-amplified with primers within the HTLV-I tax gene region. Amplification products were probed with nested oligonucleotide probes by Southern blot analysis. No HTLV-I proviral sequences were detected in the samples (0/50). Using HTLV-I/II pol primers, no HTLV-I pol gene sequences were detected. In tissues from one patient, HTLV-II pol and tax gene sequences were detected; however, HTLV-II proviral integration was not detected by Southern blot analysis of the genomic DNA. Our data suggest: (i) HTLV-I does not appear to be a primary etiologic agent in CTCL; and (ii) HTLV-II pol and tax gene sequences can be detected in a minority of CTCL patients, but this does not necessarily imply an etiologic role.
Li
G
G
Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Vowels
B R
BR
Benoit
B M
BM
Rook
A H
AH
Lessin
S R
SR
D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral