Characterization of HTLV-I in a T-cell line established from a patient with myelopathy

T. Nakamura, M. Tsujihata, S. Shirabe, H. Matsuo, Y. Ueki and S. Nagataki
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki, University School of Medicine, Japan.

We have established an interleukin 2-dependent, OKT4-positive T-cell line, named HCT-1, from cells in the cerebrospinal fluid obtained from a patient with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy. Antigens for HTLV-I were detected in HCT-1 cells by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blot testing, and type C virus particles were detected by electron microscopy. Southern blot analysis of HCT-1 cellular DNA, using an HTLV-I probe, revealed that the integrated provirus genome could not be distinguished from the HTLV-I genome in adult patients with T-cell leukemia.