Exaggerated messenger RNA expression of inflammatory cytokines in human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the expression of inflammatory cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy (HAM).

PATIENTS:

Seventeen patients with HAM, 18 HTLV-I-seropositive carriers, and 10 seronegative individuals were studied.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:

We compared the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon alpha (IFN-alpha), IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma, and interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-1 beta by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS:

In patients with HAM, the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction products of TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, IFN-gamma, and IL-1 alpha were detected in significantly higher incidences than in HTLV-I-seropositive carriers and seronegative controls. Furthermore, simultaneous mRNA expression of three or more of these four cytokines was detected in all patients with HAM compared with only 21.4% of HTLV-I-seropositive carriers. By contrast, there was no significant difference in mRNA expression of IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IL-1 beta among patients with HAM, HTLV-I-seropositive carriers, and HTLV-I-seronegative controls.

CONCLUSIONS:

An exaggerated mRNA expression of several inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, IFN-gamma, and IL-1 alpha, was demonstrated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with HAM. Moreover, transcripts of these cytokines were simultaneously up-regulated in patients with HAM, suggesting that an inflammatory state in the central nervous system may be related to the pathogenesis of HAM.

• Authors: H Watanabe, T Nakamura, K Nagasato, S Shirabe, K Ohishi, K Ichinose, Y Nishiura, S Chiyoda, M Tsujihata, S Nagataki
• Journal: Archives of neurology (Arch Neurol) Vol. 52 Issue 3 Pg. 276-80 (Mar 1995) ISSN: 0003-9942 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7872881 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• Interferon-alpha
• Interleukin-1
• RNA, Messenger
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Interferon-beta
• Interferon-gamma
• Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Base Sequence
• Cytokines (genetics)
• Female
• Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (genetics)
• Humans
• Interferon-alpha (genetics)
• Interferon-beta (genetics)
• Interferon-gamma (genetics)
• Interleukin-1 (genetics)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic (genetics)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (genetics)