Abnormal in vitro proliferation and differentiation of T cell colony-forming cells in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis/human T lymphocyte virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myeloencephalopathy and healthy HTLV-I carriers

• Published in: The Journal of experimental medicine Vol. 177; no. 3; pp. 741 - 750
• Main Authors: LUNARDI-ISKANDAR, Y, GESSAIN, A, LAM, V. H, GALLO, R. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Rockefeller University Press 01-03-1993; The Rockefeller University Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Carrier State - microbiology; CD3 Complex - analysis; CD4 Antigens - analysis; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - microbiology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - pathology; CD8 Antigens - analysis; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cell Division - physiology; Cells, Cultured; HTLV-I Infections - pathology; HTLV-I Infections - physiopathology; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - isolation & purification; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - physiology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Medical sciences; Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic - pathology; Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic - physiopathology; Phenotype; Stem Cells - immunology; Stem Cells - pathology; Stem Cells - physiology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - pathology; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate - pharmacology; Tropical medicine; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the nervous system; Human; Cell proliferation; Nervous system diseases; Encephalomyelitis; Pathophysiology; Retroviridae; Spasticity; Paraparesia; Cell differentiation; Infection; Virus; Myelopathy; Phenotype; Interleukin 2; Cell population; Viral disease; T-Lymphocyte; Infected cell; HTLV-I virus
• ISSN: 0022-1007; 1540-9538
• DOI: 10.1084/jem.177.3.741

T cell colonies were generated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 10 patients with tropical spastic paraparesis/human T lymphocyte virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myeloencephalopathy (TSP/HAM), two healthy HTLV-I carriers, and 17 healthy HTLV-I-seronegative subjects. PBMC were cultured in methylcellulose in the absence of added growth factors (spontaneous T cell colonies), or in the presence of phorbol myristate acetate and interleukin 2 (induced T cell colonies). PBMC T cell colony-forming cells (T-CFC) from all TSP/HAM patients and HTLV-I carriers were able to grow in the absence of added growth factors and/or mitogenic stimulation. Pooled spontaneous and induced colonies were composed of cells bearing CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD1+ antigens. Colonies from normal HTLV-I-seronegative subjects displayed mature cells bearing the CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD1- surface phenotype. In addition, spontaneous and induced T cell colonies expressed HTLV-I antigens in 18-38% of the cells from TSP/HAM patients and HTLV-I carriers. These results demonstrate that HTLV-I infection is associated with an abnormal proliferation and differentiation of T cell progenitors in vitro and that the T-CFC from HTLV-I-seropositive individuals are infected, suggesting that T-CFC abnormalities may play a predominant role in the pathophysiology of HTLV-I.