title: Characterization of HTLV-I isolates and T lymphoid cell lines derived from French West Indian patients with tropical spastic paraparesis.
abstract: Lymphoid cell lines derived from the peripheral blood of French West Indian patients with HTLV-I sero-positive Tropical Spastic Paraparesis and HTLV-I isolates were characterized. While patients' peripheral blood lymphocytes did not express detectable HTLV-I antigens when uncultured, they did so after short-term culture. Established cell lines were of T-cell lineage: CD2+, CD3+, CD4+, CD7+, WT31+ with activated T-cell markers CD25+, DR+ and a clonal rearrangement of the beta and gamma genes of the T-cell receptor. HTLV-I antigens were detected in cell lines by indirect immunofluorescence, Western blot and radio-immunoprecipitation assays. After 4 months in culture, low levels of Mg2+ dependent reverse transcriptase activity were detected and electron microscopy revealed numerous type-C retroviral particles similar to HTLV-I virions. Western blot and radio-immunoprecipitation analysis of purified viruses revealed gp46, p24, p19 and Pr53gag proteins similar to those detected in HUT 102 and MT2 cell lines. Deep analysis of env-coded precursor of one TSP versus ATL isolates revealed minor differences in their molecular weights. Southern blot analysis using 32P HTLV-I env gene as a probe showed the presence of HTLV-I proviral fragments clonally integrated into the genome of the cell lines. Our data suggest that HTLV-I isolated from Tropical Spastic Paraparesis does not differ significantly from the leukemogenic prototypes. Does HTLV-I induce either acute lymphoproliferative diseases or chronic neuromyelopathies depending upon as yet unknown co-factors? This question remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches sur les Maladies du Sang, Rétrovirus et Rétrotransposons des Vertébrés, CNRS Hôpital, Saint-Louis, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gessain
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morozov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lasneret
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilette
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gout
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emanoil-Ravier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sigaux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Thé
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Périès
mesh_terms: D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002460:Cell Line; D015485:Deltaretrovirus Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005602:France; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008395:Martinique / Q000208:ethnology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015485:Deltaretrovirus Antigens; D014764:Viral Proteins