HTLV-I AND HTLV-II VIRUS EXPRESSION INCREASE WITH HIV-1 COINFECTION

Coinfections with HIV-1 and HTLV-I or HTLV-II have been associated wit h unique immunophenotypes and an increased risk for development of neu rodegenerative conditions. These findings may result from an increased HTLV-I or II viral burden in dually infected individuals. To investig ate this possibility, HTLV-I/II tax/rex messenger RNA and viral antige n expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measur ed in 37 HTLV-I-or HTLV-II-infected subjects with or without HIV-1 coi nfection. Tax/rex messenger RNA was detected in 14 of 24 PBMC samples from dually infected subjects, compared with only 1 of 13 PBMC samples from singly infected subjects (58% versus 7%; p < .003). The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay correlated with HTLV-I/II viral antigen detection in PBMC cultures but not with HIV-1 viral load levels in plasma. These findings may provide clues regardi ng the pathophysiologic consequences of HIV/HTLV-I and HIV/HTLV-II coi nfections.