Open AccessMolecular Pathologic Analysis of the Tonsil in HTLV-I–Infected Individuals
Author(s) -
Norihiro Takenouchi,
Eiji Matsuoka,
Takashi Moritoyo,
Masahiro Nagai,
Kenji Katsuta,
Kazuhisa Hasui,
Kazuyoshi Ueno,
Yoshito Eizuru,
Koichiro Usuku,
Mitsuhiro Osame,
Yasushi Isashiki,
Shuji Izumo
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1944-7884
pISSN - 1525-4135
DOI - 10.1097/00126334-199910010-00014
Subject(s) - provirus , tonsil , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , biology , polymerase chain reaction , pathology , virology , in situ hybridization , marginal zone , immunology , antibody , medicine , b cell , gene , messenger rna , biochemistry , genome , in vitro
Little is known about the role of the tonsils in HTLV-I infection. We performed molecular pathologic studies of tonsils in individuals positive or negative for anti-HTLV-I antibodies (HTLV-I-Ab) to clarify histologic characteristics of tonsils in HTLV-I infection. We collected tonsils and peripheral blood samples from patients who underwent tonsillectomy in a prospective manner. HTLV-I-Ab in serum was examined and presence of HTLV-I provirus was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in extracted DNA of both peripheral blood and tonsils. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluations of tonsils were performed. HTLV-I seropositivity and PCR detection of HTLV-I provirus matched perfectly. Tonsil samples from seropositive individuals showed atrophy of the mantle zone and high numbers of T cells in the marginal zone compared with findings in HTLV-I-negative samples. HTLV-I provirus could be detected only from extracted DNA of extrafollicular areas. PCR in situ hybridization also showed positive signals in some mononuclear cells located in the marginal zone. There was a significant correlation between HTLV-I proviral load in tonsils and in peripheral blood. These results suggest the presence of characteristic histologic changes and deviated localization of HTLV-I-infected cells in the tonsils of individuals positive for HTLV-I.