High frequencies of Th1-type CD4(+) T cells specific to HTLV-1 Env and Tax proteins in patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis

Blood. 2002 May 1;99(9):3335-41. doi: 10.1182/blood.v99.9.3335.

Abstract

CD4(+) T cells are critical for inducing and maintaining efficient humoral and cellular immune responses to pathogens. The CD4(+) T-cell response in human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) infection has not been studied in detail. However, CD4(+) T cells have been shown to predominate in early lesions in HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). We present direct estimates of HTLV-1 Env- and Tax-specific CD4(+) T-cell frequencies in patients infected with HTLV-1. We first showed that there was a strong bias toward the Th1 phenotype in these HTLV-1-specific CD4(+) T cells in patients with HAM/TSP. We then demonstrated significantly higher frequencies of HTLV-1-specific Th1-type CD4(+) T cells in HAM/TSP patients than in asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. The majority of these HTLV-1-specific CD4(+) T cells did not express HTLV-1 Tax and were therefore unlikely to be infected by HTLV-1. High frequencies of activated HTLV-1-specific CD4(+) T cells of the Th1 phenotype might contribute to the initiation or pathogenesis of HAM/TSP and other HTLV-1-associated inflammatory diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Products, tax / immunology
  • Gene Products, tax / metabolism
  • Gene Products, tax / pharmacology
  • HTLV-I Infections / blood
  • HTLV-I Infections / complications*
  • HTLV-I Infections / immunology
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / chemistry
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
  • Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / blood
  • Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / etiology*
  • Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / pharmacology

Substances

  • Gene Products, tax
  • Viral Envelope Proteins