Correlation between viral DNA load and serum anti p19 antibody concentration in symptomless human T-lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I)-infected individuals.

In order to determine whether serum anti-human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) antibody concentration is correlated with cellular viral DNA load, these 2 biological parameters were established in 22 symptomless HTLV-I carriers. The proviral copy (PVC) number was determined through quantificative polymerase chain reaction. Specific antibody titers were determined by Western blot with the end-point dilution method; the quantification of each antibody was performed through ScanBlot by determination of the peak height of each Western-blot band. A positive correlation was observed between the PVC number and the titer of total antibodies. When the association between the peak height of each antibody and the PVC number was studied, a significant positive correlation was observed only with anti-p 19. Further evaluation through follow-up studies of symptomless HTLV-I individuals is needed to clarify the value of anti-HTLV-I antibody titer as a predictor of disease progression.