Measurement of HTLV-1 provirus loads in pregnant women with HTLV-1 carrier

HTLV-1基因组的PCR引物位于pX区，而作为内部对照的β-珠蛋白的PCR引物位于外显子2。通过公式[（HTLV-1 pX拷贝数）/（β-珠蛋白拷贝数/2）] × 10，000个细胞计算HTLV-1前病毒载量。1)HTLV-1感染的定量PCR检测可用于孕妇HTLV-1筛查系统。2)分娩后，血液样品中HTLV-1基因组的前病毒载量显著降低。但HTLV-1前病毒载量的变化可能不能反映孕妇体内CD 4 + CD 25 +T细胞的变化。3）6例HTLV-1携带者孕妇脐血细胞中检测到HTLV-1前病毒，提示宫内感染可能是HTLV-1母婴传播感染之一。

CR primers for HTLV-1genome were located at the pX region, while PCR primers for beta-globin as an internal control were on exon 2. HTLV-1 proviral load was calculated by the formula [(HTLV-1 pX copy number)/(beta-globin copy number/2)] x10, 000 cells. 1) Quantitative PCR test of HTLV-1 infection is useful for the HTLV-1 screening system in pregnant women. 2) The proviral load of HTLV-1 genome in blood samples was decreased significantly after delivery. However, the changes of HTLV-1 proviral load may not reflect the changes of CD4+CD25+T cells in pregnant women.3)In six pregnant women with HTLV-1 carrier, HTLV-1 provirus was detected in umbilical blood cells, suggesting that the intrauterine infection may be one of the mother-to-child transmitted infection of HTLV-1.