title: Altered subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM).
abstract: We studied subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 12 patients with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) associated myelopathy (HAM). The percent of OKT8+ cells was significantly decreased, and the percentages of OKDR+ cells and IL-2R+ cells and the ratio of OKT4+ cells to OKT8+ cells were significantly increased compared with either HTLV-I seronegative healthy adults (controls) or HTLV-I seropositive non-HAM subjects (carriers). The subsets of PBL from eight carriers showed no differences from those in controls. The patients with HAM showed significantly higher antibody titers to HTLV-I compared with carriers. These altered PBL subsets and high HTLV-I antibody titers in the patients suggest that immune functions are in an activated state in HAM.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies