Characterization of adherent T cells to human endothelial cells in patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
To clarify the phenomenon of increased adherence of T cells to endothelial cells (EC) in patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM), we determined the surface markers and expression of lymphocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1) in T cells adherent or nonadherent to EC. The percentage of activated or HLA-DR+ T cells and the expression of LFA-1 in the adherent cell population were significantly higher than those in the nonadherent cell population. Moreover, the CD4 to CD8 ratio of the HLA-DR+ cells in the EC-adherent T cells was significantly higher than that in the nonadherent cells. Collectively, these results indicate that increased adherence of T cells to EC in HAM patients is based on the increase of activated T cells with high density LFA-1 expression in the peripheral blood. Moreover, CD4+ HLA-DR+ cells exhibited more adhesive activity to EC than CD8+ HLA-DR+ cells, suggesting that activated CD4+ cells, rather than activated CD8+ cells, may be important as the first trigger for T cell-infiltration to the central nervous system in the immunopathogenesis of HAM.
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
K
K
Ichinose
T
T
Nakamura
Y
Y
Nishiura
K
K
Nagasato
K
K
Ohishi
H
H
Watanabe
A
A
Fujita
K
K
Kurouji
M
M
Tsujihata
S
S
Nagataki
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014471:Umbilical Veins
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens