The retrovirus human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) promotes spastic paraparesis, adult T cell leukaemia and other diseases. Recently, some human microRNAs (miRNAs) have been described as important factors in host-virus interactions. This study compared miRNA expression in control individuals, asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paraparesis...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that causes a persistent infection, and only 0.5-5% of infected individuals will develop HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Therefore, we investigated parameters to discriminate HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers (ACs) with an increased chance to develop HAM/TSP. METHODS We evaluated in...

Objectives: Successful engraftment of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected cells and a marked increase of proviral DNA loads (PVLs) in non-obese diabetic/ severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID)/ c null (NOG) mice have been reported. Whether the increased PVL in transplanted mice is due to the new infection of HTLV-1 was examined. Methods: Mononuclear cells from 3 NOG mice wit...

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a central role in the protective immune response to human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1). Here we consider two questions. First, what determines the strength of an individual's HTLV-1-specific CTL response? Second, what controls the rate of expression of HTLV-1 in vivo, which is greater in patients with HAM/TSP than in asymptomatic carriers with the same pro...

BACKGROUND Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive malignancy with very poor prognosis and short survival, caused by the human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1). The HTLV-1 biomarkers trans-activator x (TAX) and HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper factor (HBZ) are main oncogenes and life-threatening elements. This study aimed to assess the role of the TAX and HBZ genes and HTLV-1 prov...

OBJECTIVE(S) The aim of this study was to investigate the association between HLA class I alleles (HLA-A*02, HLA-A*24, HLA-Cw*08, HLA-B5401) and proviral load in HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraperesis (HAM/TSP) patients in Iranian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS 20 new cases of HAM/TSP patients and 30 HTLV-I infected healthy carriers were recruited. Peripheral blood sampl...

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated disease, has a highly variable clinical course and four subtypes with therapeutic and prognostic implications. However, there are overlapping features between ATL subtypes and between ATL and nonmalignant (non-ATL) HTLV-1 infection complicating diagnosis and prognostication. To further refine the diagn...

OBJECTIVE Hospital and laboratory data indicate that human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is endemic to central Australia, but no community-based studies of its prevalence or disease burden have been reported. We determined the prevalence rates of HTLV-1 infection and of HTLV-1-associated diseases in a remote Indigenous community. SETTING A remote Northern Territory community. DESIGN ...