抄録
We examined the histopathologic changes of lymph nodes from 10 patients with mild lymphadenopathy, a few atypical lymphocytes in peripheral blood, skin lesions, and proviral DNA of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) in the nodes. The proviral DNA of HTLV-I was detected by Southern blot analysis, in situ hybridization technique, and/or polymerase chain reaction. The lymph nodes showed preserved nodal architecture with diffuse infiltration of small to intermediate sized lymphocytes in association with scattered transformed lymphocytes and few immunoblast-like cells in the enlarged paracortex. The infiltrating lymphocytes were positive for CD4, but neither rearrangement nor deletion of T-cell receptors and immunoglobulin heavy chain genes was detected. All patients were alive and healthy at more than 5 months after the biopsies. The histology resembled that of a viral infection and could be distinguished from HTLV-I associated lymphomas.
