title: Interferon-alpha significantly reduces cerebrospinal fluid CD4 cell subsets in HAM/TSP.
abstract: We, for the first time, analyzed T cell and natural killer (NK) cell subsets in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in nine patients with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). The CD4/CD8 ratio in CSF was significantly lower after the therapy, which is mainly attributable to the significant reduction in CD4+ cells, especially CD25+CD4 and CD45RO+CD4 cell subsets. Meanwhile, NK, natural T and NKT cell subsets in the CSF remained unchanged. There was no CSF lymphocyte subset significantly associated with the clinical efficacy of IFN-alpha in this small-scale study, and more patients should be analyzed to ascertain the link.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryomachi, Aobaku, 980-8574 Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Tatsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Misu
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujihara
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohnosu
authors.forename: Yusei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Sadao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha