Anatomical distribution of HTLV-I proviral sequence in an autopsy case of HTLV-I associated myelopathy: a polymerase chain reaction study.

HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM) is a slowly progressive paraplegia of the lower extremities observed among HTLV-I carriers. An autopsy of a typical HAM case in which perivascular lymphocytic infiltration was not limited to the central nervous system was examined. Spinal dorsal roots, salivary gland, lungs, liver and kidney showed non-specific, but unusual sporadic perivascular lymphocytic infiltration, which resembled the findings in the spinal cord. To investigate the anatomical distribution of HTLV-I provirus, the HTLV-I proviral sequences, tax and pol, were amplified from the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of the autopsy case using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By PCR, strong HTLV-I provirus signals were detected in the spinal cord, peripheral nerve, muscle, lungs and liver. Weak signals were detected in the medulla oblongata, optic nerve and lymph node, while the other organs, including the cerebrum, were negative. The data from this study show the specific distribution of HTLV-I provirus in the distinct organs of a HAM patient.