Amplifications of multiple regions of the HTLV-I genome from DNA of an Italian spastic paraparesis patient but not from DNA of multiple sclerosis patients.

Abstract

We searched for evidence of infection by the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) in patients with multiple sclerosis (40 cases); brainstem encephalitis (1 case); Friedreich's ataxia (1 case); spastic paraparesis of unknown etiology (1 case). All patients were from the region of Abruzzo, Italy. Sera were all negative for anti-HTLV-I reactivity by the Western blotting (WB) analysis. DNAs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique with primers specific for the HTLV-I gag, pol, and env proviral regions. HTLV-I sequences were amplified only in the patient with spastic paraparesis of unknown etiology. In this case, HTLV-I infection might have been related to blood transfusions received 2 years prior to the onset of the neurologic symptoms. Members of the patient's family were negative for HTLV-I by PCR and WB. These data indicate that HTLV-I associated myelopathy is present also in Italy, but fail to substantiate an association of HTLV-I with multiple sclerosis.

• Authors: D French, S Mammarella, M C Curia, A M Porrini, A Giampietro, S Macor, V Lombardi, A M Aglianò, V Manzari, A Lugaresi
• Journal: Journal of the neurological sciences (J Neurol Sci) Vol. 103 Issue 1 Pg. 82-9 (May 1991) ISSN: 0022-510X [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 1865236 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA, Viral
• Oligonucleotide Probes

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Base Sequence
• Blotting, Western
• DNA, Viral (blood)
• Female
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Multiple Sclerosis (microbiology)
• Oligonucleotide Probes
• Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic (microbiology)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction