Human T-lymphotropic virus type I provirus and T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia.
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare type of post-thymic T-cell neoplasm, the etiology of which is unknown. Patients with T-PLL have been found to be seronegative for human T-lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I), and their leukemia cells do not retain monoclonally integrated HTLV-I provirus. Recently, we have demonstrated the presence of defective HTLV-I provirus by polymerase chain reaction in the DNA extracted from peripheral blood cells or affected lymph nodes of T-PLL patients. Although there is a possibility, from our observation, that an alternative mechanism is operating in HTLV-associated leukemogenesis, it is still unknown whether and how HTLV-I can contribute to the leukemogenesis of T-PLL. In this review, we describe controversial issues and discuss a role of HTLV-I in the leukemogenesis of T-PLL.
Kojima
K
K
Division of Hematology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan.
Hara
M
M
Sawada
T
T
Miyata
A
A
Saito
H
H
Matsuo
Y
Y
Yasukawa
M
M
Fujita
S
S
Harada
M
M
D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D003673:Defective Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005544:Forecasting; D016355:Genes, pX; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D015463:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000821:virology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000821:virology; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000821:virology
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004279:DNA, Viral