Examination of HTLV-I Integration in the Skin Lesions of Various Types of Adult T-Cell Leukemia (ATL): Independence of Cutaneous-Type ATL Confirmed by Southern Blot Analysis

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 96; no. 2; pp. 196 - 200
• Main Authors: Dosaka, Naoko, Tanaka, Toshihiro, Miyachi, Yoshiki, Imamura, Sadao, Kakizuka, Akira
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01.02.1991; Nature Publishing
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blotting, Southern; Dermatology; DNA, Viral - genetics; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Female; gene rearrangement; Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - genetics; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - isolation & purification; Humans; Integration; Leukemia; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell - immunology; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell - microbiology; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell - pathology; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Skin - microbiology; Skin - pathology; Skin diseases; T-cell lymphoma; T-cell receptor; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Virus; Human; Adult T cell leukemia; Skin disease; T-Lymphocyte; Retroviridae; Hemopathy; Skin; HTLV-I virus; Lymphoma
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12461033

The various clinical features of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) are frequently accompanied by skin eruptions. Recently, a cutaneous type of ATL has been proposed by clinical studies. We analyzed the viral integration of human T-cell leukemia virus-I (HTLV-I) and monoclonal rearrangement of T-cell receptor (TCR) gene in blood lymphocytes and the cutaneous infiltrated cells of nine ATL patients with various clinical features and skin eruptions. We classified them by the results of Southern blot analysis and propose a cutaneous-type ATL accordingly. In two of them, we could detect the monoclonal integration of HTLV-I and T-cell monoclonality only in the skin but not in the peripheral lymphocytes. We also demonstrated the time course study in one patient. Clinicians should be aware of the HTLV-I positive cutaneous T cell lymphoma that can be named cutaneous-type ATL. Examination of viral integration and T-cell monoclonality in skin lesions is required to make an exact diagnosis of cutaneous ATL.