title: The human T-cell lymphotropic viruses types I/II are not involved in T prolymphocytic leukemia and large granular lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: The possible involvement of the human T lymphotropic viruses type I and II (HTLV-I and -II) in lymphoproliferative disorders of mature T cells other than adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) has been controversial. Most studies have focused primarily on the cutaneous T cell lymphomas. However, skin involvement is a frequent feature of T prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) and antibodies against HTLV-I and -II have been reported in individuals with large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia. We examined 36 patients with T-PLL and 28 with LGL leukemia for evidence of HTLV-I and -II. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on DNA from fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and PBMCs after short-term culture (STC) using primers against all parts of the HTLV-I genome (LTR, gag, env, pol, tax/rex) and against HTLV-II pol and gag. Reverse transcriptase (RT) activity was measured on supernatants from STCs using a sensitive PCR-based technique. No HTLV-I or -II sequences were found by PCR nor RT activity detected in the 64 cases. Our findings do not provide evidence of HTLV-I or -II infection in T-PLL and LGL leukemia patients from an HTLV-I nonendemic area. Previous positive reports on these disorders may represent technical artefacts, detection of endogenous HTLV-like sequences or reflect patients from endemic areas and a variable etiology of T cell diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Hematology and Cytogenetics, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pawson
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matutes
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catovsky
mesh_terms: D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000821:virology*; D015463:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic / Q000821:virology*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase