Nucleotide sequence analysis of a provirus derived from HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM)

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is known to be associated with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Recently, HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM) was described as a neurological disease with which an etiological association of HTLV-1 is suspected. A provirus genome was cloned from a lymphoid cell line derived from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with HAM, in order to examine in detail the etiological virus associated with HAM. The nucleotide sequence of the long terminal repeat (LTR), protease, env and pX regions of the provirus shows over 97% homology with that of HTLV-1 derived from ATL. These results suggest that this provirus, derived from a patient with HAM, belongs to the same species as HTLV-1 derived from patients with ATL.