HUMAN RETROVIRUS-5 PROVIRAL DNA IS RARELY DETECTED IN SALIVARY-GLAND BIOPSY TISSUES FROM PATIENTS WITH SJOGRENS-SYNDROME

Objective. To examine whether human retrovirus-5 (HRV-5) infection is associated with Sjogren's syndrome. Methods. Salivary gland DNA was te sted by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HRV-5 proviral DNA, Rigorous precautions were taken to prevent false-positive results fro m PCR contamination. Positive samples were confirmed by testing with a n additional independent set of primers and were then sequenced. Resul ts. Ninety-two samples were examined (55 from Sjogren's syndrome patie nts, 37 from non-Sjogren's syndrome patients), 2 of which were positiv e, One was from a patient who had sicca symptoms but who did not satis fy the criteria for a diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome, The other was f rom a patient with secondary Sjogren's syndrome. Owing to the extremel y low virus load in minor salivary glands, the number of HRV-5-infecte d patients may be underestimated, In total, 3 different sequences of H RV-5 were identified which were 98% identical to the original sequence but which displayed variations between and within individuals. Conclu sion. This is the first study to systematically seek a disease associa tion with HRV-5, although with this method, an association with Sjogre n's syndrome was not identified.