A wide spectrum of collagen vascular and autoimmune diseases in transgenic rats carrying the env-pX gene of human T lymphocyte virus type I.
To investigate the pathogenesis of human T lymphocyte virus type I (HTLV-I)- related diseases, the env-pX gene of HTLV-I was introduced into the germline of inbred Wistar-King-Aptekman-Hokudai rats. A wide spectrum of collagen vascular diseases was evident in the transgenic rats, including chronic destructive arthritis similar to rheumatoid arthritis, necrotizing arteritis mimicking polyarteritis nodosa, polymyositis, myocarditis, dermatitis, and chronic sialoadenitis and dacryoadenitis resembling Sjögren's syndrome in humans. Thymic atrophy with the depletion of CD4 and CD8 double-positive thymocytes was also observed. In these animals, a number of autoantibodies, including high titers of rheumatoid factor, were present in the serum. We propose that the HTLV-I env-pX gene region may play a pathogenetic role in the development of collagen vascular and autoimmune diseases associated with autoimmune phenomenon.
Yamazaki
H
H
Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Ikeda
H
H
Ishizu
A
A
Nakamaru
Y
Y
Sugaya
T
T
Kikuchi
K
K
Yamada
S
S
Wakisaka
A
A
Kasai
N
N
Koike
T
T
Hatanaka
M
M
Yoshiki
T
T
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015752:Genes, env / Q000276:immunology*; D016355:Genes, pX / Q000276:immunology*; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000503:physiopathology; D014157:Transcription Factors; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
D015686:Gene Products, env; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014157:Transcription Factors; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C072343:pX protein, Human T-lymphotropic virus 1