title: Psychobehavioral and immunological characteristics of HTLV-1 carriers and non-carriers with persistently low natural killer cell activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the differences in immunological and psychobehavioral characteristics of HTLV-1 carriers and non-carriers with persistently low natural killer (NK) cell activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The individuals with persistently low NK cell activity were divided into HTLV-1 carriers and non-carriers. NK cell activity, lymphocytic proliferation, lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD20+, CD56+), and psychobehavioral responses were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 296 outpatients with physical complaints, 30 patients with persistently low NK cell activity (10 HTLV-1 carriers and 20 HTLV-1 non-carriers) and 20 healthy controls negative for HTLV-1 antibody and with normal NK cell activity were randomly selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HTLV-1 carriers with persistently low NK cell activity, no significant differences were observed in NK cell subsets (CD16+ and CD56+) and psychobehavioral responses compared with the healthy controls. In HTLV-1 non-carriers, NK cell subsets were significantly low, and depression, anxiety and fatigue were significantly greater than in healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that persistently e low NK cell activity in HTLV-1 carriers might be reduced due to the HTLV-1 infection. On the other hand, the reduction in the NK cell activity in HTLV-1 non-carriers appears a to be related to depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozoe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged