       Document 0554
 DOCN  M9620554
 TI    Anti-viral and immunomodulatory effects of interferon-alpha on cultured
       lymphocytes from patients with human T lymphotropic virus type
       I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP).
 DT    9602
 AU    Ijichi S; Izumo S; Nagai M; Shinmyozu K; Hall WW; Osame M; Third
       Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,; Kagoshima
       University, Japan.
 SO    J Neuroimmunol. 1995 Sep;61(2):213-21. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96049081
 AB    In contrast to therapeutic benefits of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in
       patients with human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated
       myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), little is known about
       the mechanisms underlying its clinical efficacy. To investigate the
       anti-viral and/or immunomodulatory properties of IFN-alpha in HTLV-I
       infection, the effects of IFN-alpha on HTLV-I-induced in vitro phenomena
       were evaluated. In vitro activation of HTLV-I in fractionated CD4+ T
       lymphocyte-rich cells (CD4+ cells) could be demonstrated by increased
       thymidine incorporation into the cells, detection of proviral HTLV-I and
       viral RNA, and by assays of reverse transcriptase activities in culture
       supernatants. T cell immune responses were evaluated by thymidine
       incorporation into CD8+ T lymphocyte-rich cells (CD8+ cells) responding
       to cultured and irradiated autologous CD4+ cells possessing HTLV-I
       antigens. It could be shown that IFN-alpha suppressed both the in vitro
       activation of HTLV-I and the CD8+ cell response. Moreover, 1 day
       supplementation of IFN-alpha as a pretreatment was sufficient for the
       induction of these properties. These findings, together with the
       clinical efficacy of IFN-alpha administration in patients with HAM/TSP,
       support the view that viral activation and T cell responses are critical
       components in the pathogenic processes involved in HAM/TSP.
 DE    Antiviral Agents/*PHARMACOLOGY  Base Sequence  Cells, Cultured
       CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/IMMUNOLOGY  CD8-Positive
       T-Lymphocytes/IMMUNOLOGY  DNA Primers/CHEMISTRY  Human  HTLV-I
       Antigens/ANALYSIS  Interferon-alpha/*PHARMACOLOGY  Lymphocyte
       Transformation/DRUG EFFECTS  Molecular Sequence Data  Paraparesis,
       Tropical Spastic/*IMMUNOLOGY  RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/ANALYSIS
       JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

