Human T cell leukemia virus type I induces DNA synthesis and immunoglobulin secretion in human lymphocyte cultures.
Viral particles obtained from HTLV-I (human T cell leukemia virus, type I)-transformed T cell lines induced immunoglobulin production by normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. Conversely, no immunoglobulin could be detected in the supernatant medium in purified B cells cultivated with HTLV-I, suggesting that the presence of T cells is mandatory for HTLV-I to induce B cell polyclonal activation. The T cell help was mediated by soluble factors, as indicated in experiments showing that cell-free conditioned medium from T lymphocytes activated by HTLV-I was able to induce B cell proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, a direct effect of HTLV-I on B cell proliferation was demonstrated when viral particles were added to purified B cells together with suboptimal doses of Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain I (SAC). These observations show that an immediate early effect of HTLV-I infection was exerted on B cells, mainly in a T cell-dependent manner. Such an effect may account for the hypergammaglobulinemia observed in HTLV-I seropositive individuals, and in patients with HTLV-I-associated neurological disorders.
Boyer
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Laboratoire d'Immuno-Virologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR 30 CNRS-UCBL, Faculté de Médecine A. Carrel, Lyon, France.
Dodon
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Gazzolo
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D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology
D001685:Biological Factors; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D004247:DNA