title: HTLV-1 viral RNA is detected rarely in plasma of HTLV-1 infected subjects.
abstract: Plasma of patients infected with HTLV-1 is considered non-infectious but detection of HTLV-1 genomic RNA in plasma has been recently reported. The aim of this project was to detect and quantify HTLV-1 RNA in plasma and assess its potential value in diagnosis and prognosis. RNA from 1 ml of plasma from 65 subjects infected with HTLV-1 (27 asymptomatic carriers [AC]), 17 patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP), 14 with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), two co-infected with HIV, and five with other HTLV-1-associated disease, was extracted and reverse transcribed. HTLV-1 specific nested PCR was performed using primers to amplify the conserved Tax region. All samples were run in quadruplicate, nested PCR products were detected by gel electrophoresis. HTLV-1 RNA was detected in plasma from 18 (28%) patients, always at a very low copy number (3-13 copies viral cDNA per milliliter of plasma). Mean values of HTLV-1 proviral load did not differ between patients in whom HTLV-1 RNA was detected and patients in whom it was not possible to detect HTLV-1 RNA in plasma. HTLV-1 genomic RNA can be detected in the plasma of a minority of patients but not at a level or frequency to be useful clinically or diagnostically. Lack of transmission of HTLV-1 by plasma is due to the rare presence of HTLV-1 virions, regardless of any other factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Demontis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Maaz Tahir
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sadiq
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Graham P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010949:Plasma / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: HTLV-1; HTLV-1 RNA; detection; diagnosis; nested PCR; plasma; quantitative PCR