The detection of human T cell leukemia virus proviral DNA and its application for classification and diagnosis of T cell malignancy.

Adult T cell leukemia virus (HTLV or ATLV) proviral DNA integrated in the cellular DNA was examined by a modified Southern blotting method in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and/or lymph node cells from 61 patients with adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and other hematologic diseases. Serum antibodies against ATL-associated antigens (ATLA) were also examined. The presence of human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV) proviral DNA was confirmed in all 20 patients with overt ATL and in 3 patients with T cell malignant lymphoma, who were seropositive but did not show clinical features characteristic of prototypic ATL. However, it was not detected in 6 antibody-positive healthy individuals and 8 seropositive patients with various hematologic disorders. Thus, the detection of proviral DNA by the method described here seems to be useful for the diagnosis of ATL in the endemic area and may provide a powerful tool for the classification of T cell malignancies.