首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
检索        


Neuropathology of human T lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy
Authors:Shuji Izumo  Fujio Umehara  Mitsuhiro Osame
Abstract:In order to clarify pathogenesis of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) a detailed neuropathological analysis of eight autopsy patients with HAM/TSP was performed. Inflammatory infiltrates of mononuclear cells and degeneration of myelin and axons were noted in the middle to lower thoracic spinal cords and were extended continuously to the entire spinal cord. Horizontal distribution of inflammatory lesions was symmetric at any spinal levels. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated T cell dominance. The numbers of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were present in equal numbers in patients with shorter clinical course. Apoptosis of helper/inducer T cells were observed in the presence of TIA1+ cytotoxic T cells in these active inflammatory lesions. Inflammatory infiltrates were markedly decreased and CD8+/TIA1- T cells were predominated over CD4+ cells in patients with prolonged clinical course. HTLV-I proviral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amounts in the freshly frozen spinal cord measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were well correlated with the numbers of infiltrated CD4+ cells. In situ PCR of HTLV-I provial DNA using multi-primar pairs demonstrated the presence of HTLV-I infected cells exclusively in the mononuclear infiltrates of perivascular areas. From these findings, it is suggested that the target of the inflammatory process seen in HAM/TSP lesions may be HTLV-I infected CD4+ T cells infiltrating the spinal cord.
Keywords:human T lympotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis  human T lympotropic virus type I  immunohistochemistry  in situ polymerase chain reaction
设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号