Flow cytometry evaluation of the T-cell receptor Vbeta repertoire among human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infected individuals: effect of interferon alpha therapy in HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP).
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is chronic inflammatory disease of the spinal cord characterized by perivascular lymphocytic cuffing and parenchymal lymphocytic infiltration. In this study using flow cytometry, we have investigated the T-cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta repertoire of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in 8 HAM/TSP patients, 10 HTLV-1 infected healthy carriers, and 11 uninfected healthy controls to determine if there is a biased usage of TCR Vbeta. We found that TCR Vbeta7.2 was under-utilized and Vbeta12 was over-utilized in CD4+ T cells of HTLV-1 infected individuals compared with healthy uninfected controls, whereas there were no such differences in CD8+ T cells. Comparison of Vbeta repertoire changes before and after interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment for HAM/TSP revealed that one out of five patients showed dramatic decrease of specific Vbeta in CD8+ T cells. Our results suggest that dominant Vbeta subpopulations in CD4+ T cells evolved associated with chronic HTLV-1 infection, and IFN-alpha treatment for HAM/TSP does not induce a specific pattern of TCR Vbeta changes.
Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan. mineki@m3.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Mineki
M
Saito
Hirohisa
H
Nose
Koichiro
K
Usuku
Amir H
AH
Sabouri
Toshio
T
Matsuzaki
Shuji
S
Izumo
Kimiyoshi
K
Arimura
Mitsuhiro
M
Osame
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta