BENIGN MONOCLONAL T-CELL PROLIFERATION IN HTLV-I INFECTION

A spectrum of carrier states in human T lymphotropic virus type-I (HTL V-I) infection is proposed. The suspected process of clonal selection of HTLV-I infected cells results in the spectrum of nonfatal states fr om polyclonal to monoclonal virus integration. This idea is based on t he discovery that monoclonal proviral HTLV-I DNA was detected in the f resh peripheral blood lymphocytes from some patients with HTLV-I-assoc iated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a nonfatal ch ronic neurological disorder.