RESUMO
HTLV-1, the first known human retrovirus belongs to oncovirus subfamily of ietroviruses. The malor characteristic of HTLV-1 is its highly restricted geographic prevalence. Northern part of Khorasan is an endemic region oF HTLV-1 infection. Epidemiological studies can help in designing preventive programs for I-ITLV- I infection, The aim of this study was the establishment of a PCR technique for determination of HTLV-1 infection in paraffin-embedded tissues. In this experimental laboratory study for establishment of a technique, PCR was initially optimized using Beta-actin primers on various formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from liver, spleen, skin and lymph nodes. The optimized concentration of Mgcl2 was 2mm, primer was 8 pmol. Optimized concentration of DNA was different according to the kind of tissue. HTLV-1 infection was determined by applying tax, pol, env and LTR primers on 50 paraffin-embedded lymph node tissues. The reproducibility of this technique was shown for skin and lymph node tissues infected with HTLV-1. In 50 lymph node tissues, one case with pathologic diagnosis of NHL was positive with all 5 sets of primers [tax, Pol, env and LTR primers] and the other case was positive with only two sets of tax primers but was negative with pol, env and LTR primers. The prevalence of infection was 2% among lymph node specimens. [1 of 50 specimens] and if the second case is considered, the prevalence would be 4%. Comparison of the results of this study with another study on blood specimens [seroprevalenee2.3%] was not statistically significant thus confirming the results of one another. [P=0.883]