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Molecular cloning of human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I-like proviral genome from the peripheral lymphocyte DNA of a patient with chronic neurologic disorders

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA)
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I), the etiologic agent of human T-cell leukemia, has recently been shown to be associated with neurologic disorders such as tropical spastic paraparesis, HTLV-associated myelopathy, and possibly with multiple sclerosis. In this communication, the authors have examined one specific case of neurologic disorder that can be classified as multiple sclerosis or tropical spastic paraparesis. The patient suffering from chronic neurologic disorder was found to contain antibodies to HTLV-I envelope and gag proteins in his serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Lymphocytes from peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of the patient were shown to express viral RNA sequences by in situ hybridization. Southern blot analysis of the patient lymphocyte DNA revealed the presence of HTLV-I-related sequences. Blot-hybridization analysis of the RNA from fresh peripheral lymphocytes stimulated with interleukin 2 revealed the presence of abundant amounts of genomic viral RNA with little or no subgenomic RNA. They have clones the proviral genome from the DNA of the peripheral lymphocytes and determined its restriction map. This analysis shows that this proviral genome is very similar if not identical to that of the prototype HTLV-I genome.
OSTI ID:
5642438
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA) Vol. 85:10; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English