title: HTLV-1-mediated immunopathological CNS disease.
abstract: HAM/TSP is a chronic inflammatory disease of the spinal cord. It is rather rare in HTLV-1-infected individuals. Immunogenetic factors of the HLA complex have been identified that support or prevent the development of the disease. In HAM/TSP patients a characteristic constellation of high proviral loads and increased cellular and humoral immune responses have been established. Immune dysfunction in HAM/TSP patients might be partly explained by HTLV-1 tax p40 transactivation of cellular genes in infected CD4+ T lymphocytes. The oligoclonal expansion of infected T lymphocytes, the variation of tax p40 within HTLV-1 carriers, and the regulation of proviral gene expression are possible determinants for disease development and need to be clarified in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kitze
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Usuku
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000502:physiology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D011533:Proviruses / Q000502:physiology; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D016356:Gene Products, tax