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Deleted HTLV provirus in peripheral blood cells of a patient with T‐cell prolymphocytic leukaemia
Author(s) -
Kojima Kensuke,
Sawada Takashi,
Yasukawa Masaki,
Matsuo Yoshinubu,
Yakushijin Yoshihiro,
Narumi Hiroshi,
Azuma Taichi,
Takimoto Hidetaka,
Hara Masamichi
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1998.00608.x
Subject(s) - peripheral blood , provirus , virology , medicine , immunology , biology , genetics , gene , genome
We describe the first case of T‐cell prolymphocytic leukaemia (T‐PLL) in which the peripheral blood cells contained a human T‐lymphotropic virus (HTLV) related tax sequence. Serum screening tests for anti‐HTLV‐I/II antibodies were negative. Polymerase chain reaction disclosed the presence of an HTLV‐I tax sequence in the peripheral blood. Other sets of oligonucleotide primers for HTLV‐I gag , pol , env and the long terminal repeat regions and for the HTLV‐II pol region were negative in the DNA of the cells. Although patients with T‐PLL have been reported to be seronegative for HTLV‐I, our findings point to the possibility that HTLV‐I infection might be involved in the aetiology of at least some cases of T‐PLL and that there may be alternative mechanisms involved in HTLV‐associated leukaemogenesis.