MONOCLONAL INTEGRATION OF HTLV-1 IN PLEURAL EFFUSION CELLS IN A SEROPOSITIVE PATIENT WITH TUBERCULOUS PLEURITIS

The pleural effusion of a 79-year-old man who was a carrier of human T -cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) showed monoclonal growth of HTLV- 1 infected T-cells. While the integration pattern of HTLV-1 was polycl onal in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells, it was monoclonal in t he infiltrated cells of the pleural effusion. Morphologically atypical lymphoid cells were also found in the peripheral blood and in the ple ural effusion. The pleural effusion disappeared after treatment with a ntituberculous drugs. The nature of the monoclonal proliferation of HT LV-1 infected T-lymphocytes is discussed.