Bronchoalveolar lymphocytosis correlates with human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral DNA load in HTLV-I carriers.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A study was undertaken to investigate the pathogenesis of pulmonary involvement in human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) carriers.

METHODS:

The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell profile of 30 HTLV-I carriers (15 asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers (AHCs) and 15 symptomatic HTLV-I carriers (SHCs)) with chronic inflammatory diseases of respiratory tract and eight patients with HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) was investigated. The HTLV-I proviral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and BAL fluid from HTLV-I carriers was estimated using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method and the correlation between the lymphocyte number in BAL fluid and the HTLV-I proviral DNA load in PBMCs and BAL fluid was examined.

RESULTS:

The percentage of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was increased (>18%) in 11 of 30 HTLV-I carriers although there was no significant difference compared with control subjects. In HTLV-I carriers the lymphocyte number in BAL fluid correlated well with the copy number of HTLV-I proviral DNA in PBMCs. In addition, the copy number of HTLV-I proviral DNA in BAL fluid correlated well with the number of lymphocytes (both CD4+ and CD8+ cells) in BAL fluid.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest that pulmonary lymphocytosis can occur in a subset of HTLV-I carriers without HAM/TSP and that the increased HTLV-I proviral DNA load may be implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary involvement in HTLV-I carriers.

• Authors: S Mori, A Mizoguchi, M Kawabata, H Fukunaga, K Usuku, I Maruyama, M Osame
• Journal: Thorax (Thorax) Vol. 60 Issue 2 Pg. 138-43 (Feb 2005) ISSN: 0040-6376 [Print] England
• PMID: 15681503 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• DNA, Viral

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (cytology, virology)
• DNA, Viral (analysis, genetics)
• Female
• HTLV-I Infections (genetics)
• Heterozygote
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (genetics)
• Humans
• Lung Diseases (virology)
• Lymphocytosis (genetics, virology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic (virology)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)
• Proviruses (genetics)
• T-Lymphocyte Subsets (virology)
• Viral Load