Premium
Perinatal infection of human T‐lymphotropic virus type I, the etiologic virus of adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma. DNA amplification of specific human T‐lymphotropic virus type I sequences
Author(s) -
Saji Fumitaka,
Ohashi Kazutomo,
Tokugawa Yoshihiro,
Kamiura Shoji,
Azuma Chihiro,
Tanizawa Osamu
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19901101)66:9<1933::aid-cncr2820660914>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - virology , medicine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , virus , polymerase chain reaction , human t lymphotropic virus 1 , cord blood , human t lymphotropic virus , leukemia , umbilical cord , immunology , lymphoma , placenta , pregnancy , t cell leukemia , biology , fetus , myelopathy , gene , spinal cord , genetics , psychiatry , in vitro , biochemistry
A gene amplification technique, polymerase chain reaction, was used to detect human T‐lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I), the etiologic agent of adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma, in mononuclear cells in peripheral blood and breast milk of ten HTLV‐I carrier gravida. The DNA in umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells of the neonates born to the HTLV‐I carrier gravida were also amplified and examined for the possibility of HTLV‐I infection via placenta during pregnancy. The HTLV‐I sequences were detected both in the peripheral blood and milk of all ten carrier gravida by Southern blot analysis of amplified DNA. However, HTLV‐I proviral DNA could not be detected in the cord blood of the carriers' neonates, indicating that transplacental infection of HTLV‐I should be rare and that postpartum infection via breast milk is a likely major perinatal transmission route.