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.

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.

MAMMARELLA, Sandra;CURIA, Maria Cristina;LUGARESI, Alessandra;BATTISTA, Pasquale;MARIANI COSTANTINI, Renato
1991-01-01

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.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11564/134194
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