Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1): persistence and immune control.
The human retrovirus human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with two distinct types of disease: the malignancy known as adult T-cell leukemia and a range of chronic inflammatory conditions including the central nervous system disease HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Until recently, it was believed that HTLV-1 was largely latent in vivo. However, evidence from a number of types of experiments shows that HTLV-1 persistently expresses its genes, and that the "set point" of an individual's proviral load of HTLV-1 is mainly determined by the efficiency of that individual's cellular immune response to the virus. These conclusions have two main consequences. First, HTLV-1 may be vulnerable to antiretroviral drug therapy or immunotherapy. Second, HTLV-1 infection has become a useful system to analyze the determinants of the efficiency of the antiviral immune response.
Bangham
Charles R M
CR
Department of Immunology, Wright-Fleming Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. c.bangham@imperial.ac.uk
D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007249:Inflammation / Q000821:virology; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000821:virology