Mycosis fungoides in European Russia: no antibodies to human T cell leukemia virus type I structural proteins, but virus-like sequences in blood and saliva.
OBJECTIVE
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most frequent form of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) involvement in MF progression is a matter of debate. The goal of the investigation was to search for HTLV-1 markers in a group of MF patients from a nonendemic area to HTLV-1.


METHODS
Fifty MF patients and 60 healthy donors from Moscow and the Moscow region were examined for HTLV-1 markers by Western blot, PCR, nested PCR, PCR/Southern hybridization, TaqMan real-time PCR and sequencing.


RESULTS
Plasma samples from MF patients were repeatedly negative for antibodies to HTLV-1 structural proteins. HTLV-1 tax-related sequences (corresponding to the second exon) were found in blood from 20 of 50 MF patients and in 3 of 5 saliva specimens. Three of 8 sequenced tax-like amplimers were identical and 5 of 8 contained 1-2 substitutions. tax transcripts and antibodies to p40(tax) were detected in some 'PCR-tax'-positive MF patients. Defective HTLV-1 genomes were demonstrated in 2 of 50 MF patients. Phylogenetic analysis of the defective genome 5'-LTR sequence revealed a relationship with HTLV-1a sequences from the transcontinental subgroup of HTLV-1.


CONCLUSIONS
HTLV-1 tax-like sequences were revealed in blood and for the first time in saliva from MF patients living in an HTLV-1 nonendemic region. Expression of tax-like sequences was confirmed by both reverse transcription PCR and Western blot.
Morozov
Vladimir A
VA
Retrovirology, Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany. Morvlad@hotmail.com
Syrtsev
Alexander V
AV
Ellerbrok
Heinz
H
Nikolaeva
Elena V
EV
Bavykin
Andrei S
AS
Pauli
Georg
G
D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003673:Defective Viruses; D005260:Female; D016355:Genes, pX; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012426:Russia; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies