In vitro cytoskeleton changes of mouse neurons induced by purified HTLV-1, and PBMC from HAM/TSP patients and HTLV-1 carriers.
HTLV-1 is the causative agent of HAM/TSP. This neurological disease affects the CNS producing damage of the motor tracts at the spinal cord. The HAM/TSP pathogenesis remains undefined. It could include direct and indirect actions of HTLV-1. We studied the effect of purified HTLV-1 and the PBMC of 22 Chilean patients co-cultivated with fetal neurons of mouse (CNh cells): 8 HAM/TSP, 8 HTLV-1 carriers, and 6 non-infected controls. The viral antigens and provirus in CNh cells was evaluated with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies reacting with HTLV-1 by immunofluorescence assay and PCR at 0, 7 and 15 days of co-cultures, respectively. Viral antigens were detected in 0.1-0.5%, and 0-0.3% of the neurons incubated with lymphocytes of HAM/TSP patients and HTLV-1 carriers, respectively. Neurons incubated with cells of 7 HAM/TSP patients, and 3 HTLV-1 carriers showed the presence of nucleotide sequences of tax gene. These results would be showing that CNh cells would express viral antigens and provirus. The HTLV-1 or their proteins were capable in vitro to produce structural and growth changes in the cytoskeleton of CNh neurons. In this series, the purified HTLV-1 was more effective in the neural changes than PBMC of HAM/TSP or HTLV-1 carriers.
Ramirez
E
E
Section of Virology, Public Health Institute of Chile, Santiago, Chile. eramirez@ispch.cl
Cartier
L
L
Flores
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002353:Carrier State / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure* / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000648:ultrastructure* / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure* / Q000821:virology*; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology
D000956:Antigens, Viral