title: Predominant expression of Fas ligand mRNA in CD8+ T lymphocytes in patients with HTLV-1 associated myelopathy.
abstract: To determine if Fas ligand (FasL) mediated apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), we examined the expression of FasL mRNA in fresh uncultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 17 Japanese patients with HAM/TSP, four adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) patients, three asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers and three normal individuals. Using competitive PCR with primers specific for FasL mRNA, we demonstrated that nine of 17 HAM/TSP and one of four ATL patients expressed significant levels of FasL mRNA, whereas asymptomatic carriers, normal controls and both HTLV-1 infected and uninfected T-cell lines did not. Cell separation analysis following PCR revealed that FasL mRNA was expressed in CD8 + T lymphocytes. FasL mRNA was preferentially expressed in patients with increased proviral load and longer duration of clinical illness. These results suggest that FasL mediated mechanisms contribute to the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawahigashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Usuku
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osame
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D011533:Proviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger