When the human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) is integrated with the host cell genome (provirus), its proviral DNA is a replication marker. Proviral load appears to be an important factor in the development of diseases related to these retroviruses. In this study, a methodology for absolute quantification of the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 proviral load using real-time PCR was developed. Fifty-three bl...

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral integration status was examined by Southern blot analysis in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA from patients presenting a tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) and serological evidence of HTLV-I infection. Surface phenotype and morphological aspects of PBMC were also studied. A polyclonal HTLV-I proviral integration was found in t...

The inflammatory disease human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP) occurs in only 1-2% of HTLV-I-infected individuals and is associated with a high provirus load of HTLV-I. We hypothesize that a person's risk of developing HAM/TSP depends upon the efficiency of their immune response to the virus, which differs between individuals because of polymorphism in ...

Proviral human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA could be a useful marker for exploring viral reservoirs and monitoring antiretroviral treatment, particularly when HIV-1 RNA is undetectable in plasma. A new technique was developed to quantify proviral HIV-1 using a TaqMan real-time PCR assay. One copy of proviral HIV-1 DNA could be detected with 100% sensitivity for five copies and the ...

The pathogenesis of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is poorly understood. We prospectively followed up and evaluated the virologic correlates of infection in transfusion recipients after seroconversion, in asymptomatic carriers, and in ATL and HAM/TSP patients. Provira...

OBJECTIVES HTLV-1 is the first human retrovirus that has been recognized and is associated with HAM/TSP and ATLL. Studies have shown that less than five percent of HTLV-1 infected carriers develop HAM/TSP or ATLL and about ninety-five percent remain asymptomatic. Therefore, the proviral load with Tax may affect cellular genes such as cytokines and oncogenes, as well as involve in pathogenicity....

A new quantitative-competitive PCR-based human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) proviral DNA assay (QC-PCR) was developed and used to determine the proviral load in HIV-2-infected individuals. Proviral load varied considerably, with means of 1,831 copies per 10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells for asymptomatic subjects (n = 19) and 2,587 for AIDS patients (n = 2). HIV-2 viral and prov...

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is an inflammatory neurologic disease caused by HTLV-1 infection, in which HTLV-1-infected CD4(+) T cells and HTLV-1-specific CD8(+) T cells may play a role in the disease pathogenesis. Patients with HAM/TSP have high proviral loads despite vigorous virus-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses; how...

Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I) primarily infects CD4+ helper T cells. HTLV-I infection is clinically linked to the development of Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma and of HTLV-I Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis, among other illnesses. HTLV-I transmission can be either horizontal through cell-to-cell contact, or vertical through mitotic division of infected CD4+ T...