Involvement of p38 MAPK signaling pathway in IFN-gamma and HTLV-I expression in patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis

We analyzed the relationship between the expression of interferon (IFN)-gamma and HTLV-I p19 antigen and activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in two HTLV-I-infected T cell lines derived from two patients (HCT-1 and HCT-4) with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), and three HTLV-I-infected T cell lines derived from three patients with adult T cell leukemia (ATL). Expression of phosphorylated (activated)-p38 MAPK was markedly increased concomitant with high levels of both IFN-gamma and HTLV-I p19 antigen expression in both HCT-1 and HCT-4 compared with cell lines derived from ATL patients. Treatment with SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, suppressed IFN-gamma and HTLV-I p19 antigen expression levels in HCT-1, HCT-4 and peripheral blood CD4(+) T cells of HAM/TSP patients. These findings strongly suggest that activation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway is involved in the up-regulation of IFN-gamma expression with high HTLV-I proviral load in HAM/TSP patients.