PURPOSE We conducted a longitudinal analysis of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) viral markers in 28 Jamaican mothers and their children, who were monitored for a median of 6.2 years after the birth of the children. METHODS The HTLV-I provirus DNA load was measured using the Taqman system (PE Applied Biosystems). The HTLV-I antibody titer was determined using the Vironstika HTLV-I/I...

Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infects an estimated 15-20 million persons worldwide. A number of diseases have been associated with the virus including adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), HTLV-I uveitis, and HTLV-I-associated infective dermatitis. Once it was shown that there is an increased risk for developing HAM/TSP asso...

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) occurs in a small population of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected individuals. Although the critical risk factor for ATL development is not clear, it has been noted that ATL is incidentally associated with mother-to-child infection, elevated proviral loads, and weakness in HTLV-1-specific T-cell immune responses. In the present study, using a rat s...

The present study was performed to clarify the relationship between human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection and chronic inflammatory arthropathy. To determine the ability of HTLV-I to infect synovial cells and the effect on synovial cell proliferation, synovial cells were cocultured with the HTLV-I-producing T cell lines (MT-2 or HCT-1). After coculture with HTLV-I-infected T ...

T cell colonies were generated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 10 patients with tropical spastic paraparesis/human T lymphocyte virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myeloencephalopathy (TSP/HAM), two healthy HTLV-I carriers, and 17 healthy HTLV-I-seronegative subjects. PBMC were cultured in methylcellulose in the absence of added growth factors (spontaneous T cell colonies), o...

Activated human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1)-specific CD8-positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are markedly increased in the periphery of patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), an HTLV-1-induced inflammatory disease of the CNS. Although virus-specific CTLs play a pivotal role to eliminate virus-infected cells, the potential role of HTLV-1-s...

A large cross-sectional serologic survey for human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) antibody was conducted in 3,177 Ivory Coast residents to evaluate the prevalence of HTLV-1 and to determine possible risk factors and correlates of HTLV-1 infection. Of the 3,177 serum samples, 110 (3.5%) were positive for antibody to HTLV-1 by indirect immunofluorescence assay and Western blot. The prevale...

Background. The human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV 1/2) are retroviruses associated with different pathologies. HTLV-1 causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP); HTLV-2 is not clearly associated with a known clinical disease. Both viruses may be transmitted by whole blood transfusion, from mother to child...

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 (HTLV-2) retroviruses infect T lymphocytes. The minus strand of the HTLV-1 genome encodes HBZ, a protein that could play a role in the development of leukemia in infected patients. Herein, we demonstrate that the complementary strand of the HTLV-2 genome also encodes a protein that we named APH-2 for "antisense protein of HTLV-2." APH-2 mRN...

The retroviruses known as Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Types I and II (HTLV-I and -II) were recognized before the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). Associated diseases of HTLV-I infection, including a particular kind of leukemia or the development of a specific demyelinating disease, have also been observed. Screening of blood donors for antibodies to HTLV was mandated in November of 1988. Th...