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Human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I and II DNA amplification in seropositive and seronegative at‐risk individuals
Author(s) -
Montalembert M.,
Wattel E.,
Lefrère F.,
Mariotti M.,
Agis F.,
Ferrerlecoeur F.,
Girot R.,
Lefrère J. J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1993.33293158040.x
Subject(s) - serology , polymerase chain reaction , primer (cosmetics) , virology , virus , immunology , biology , antibody , viral disease , medicine , genetics , gene , chemistry , organic chemistry
To determine the presence or the absence of human T‐lymphotropic virus type I and/or II (HTLV‐I/II) DNA in at‐risk individuals who were persistently negative for specific serologic assays, polymerase chain reaction with two primer pairs in common and conserved regions of HTLV‐ I and ‐II genomes was used. Seronegative individuals at risk for HTLV‐ I/II infection (15 heterosexual partners of seropositive individuals, 17 breastfed children born to HTLV‐I‐infected mothers, 47 multiply transfused patients, 22 intravenous drug users) were studied (n = 101); 35 seropositive individuals and 25 seronegative low‐risk individuals were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. No positive polymerase chain reaction was observed in the seronegative at‐risk individuals or in the negative controls. Positive controls gave positive results with at least one primer pair in all cases except one. A latent HTLV‐I/II infection with a persistently negative serologic test for HTLV‐I/II seems unlikely.