Expression of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) tax/rex gene in fresh bronchoalveolar lavage cells of HTLV-1-infected individuals.

Abstract

Accumulating evidence has suggested the involvement of HTLV-1 in the inflammatory lesions of various organs, including the lung. However, the causal relationship between HTLV-1 and inflammatory responses in the organs remains to be elucidated. In order to evaluate the expression of HTLV-1 and its effects in the lung, we examined the expression of mRNA for the HTLV-1 tax/rex gene in fresh bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BALC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 23 seropositive individuals, including six patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), by use of an improved method of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The tax/rex mRNA was more frequently detected in BALC than in PBMC. All the HAM/TSP patients and eight of 17 carriers without neurological symptoms showed the expression of tax/rex mRNA in the BALC. IgM class antibodies to HTLV-1 were preferentially detected in sera of the tax/rex mRNA-positive individuals. The detection of tax/rex mRNA correlated closely with the presence of lymphocytosis accompanied by an elevated proportion of IL-2 receptor-bearing T cells in the BALC. Our findings indicate the crucial role of viral expression in the inflammatory response in the lung in HTLV-1-infected individuals.

• Authors: Y Higashiyama, S Katamine, S Kohno, H Mukae, S Hino, T Miyamoto, K Hara
• Journal: Clinical and experimental immunology (Clin Exp Immunol) Vol. 96 Issue 2 Pg. 193-201 (May 1994) ISSN: 0009-9104 [Print] England
• PMID: 7910532 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Deltaretrovirus Antibodies
• RNA, Messenger
• Receptors, Interleukin-2

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Base Sequence
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (cytology, microbiology)
• Carrier State (microbiology)
• Deltaretrovirus Antibodies (blood)
• Female
• Genes, pX (genetics)
• HTLV-I Infections (immunology, microbiology)
• Humans
• Lung Diseases (microbiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic (microbiology)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• RNA, Messenger (analysis)
• Receptors, Interleukin-2 (analysis)
• T-Lymphocytes (pathology)