Abstract
We studied the immunological and virological effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy in nine patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP). After therapy, the percentages of CCR5+ cells in CD4+ cells significantly decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid as well as blood. The therapy also significantly lowered the intracellular IFN-gamma+/interleukin-4+ T-cell ratio in blood. Those helper T-cell type 1 (Th1)-related responses tended to be higher and reduce more evidently following therapy in three patients who clinically improved. Also, all the three patients had one or more HTLV-I copies in five blood mononuclear cells. These results suggest that IFN-alpha suppresses Th1 responses in HAM/TSP and that the patients with higher Th1 immunity and proviral loads may be responders of the therapy. Larger-scale studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Aged
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Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
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Drug Resistance / immunology
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Female
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Flow Cytometry
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Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / immunology*
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Humans
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Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use*
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Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
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Interleukin-4 / biosynthesis
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Intracellular Fluid / chemistry
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / drug therapy
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Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / immunology*
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Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Proviruses / immunology*
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Receptors, CCR3
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Receptors, CCR5 / metabolism
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Receptors, CXCR3
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Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism
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T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / drug effects*
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T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology
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Th1 Cells / drug effects
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Th1 Cells / immunology
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Th2 Cells / drug effects
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Th2 Cells / immunology
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Viral Load
Substances
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Antiviral Agents
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CCR3 protein, human
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CXCR3 protein, human
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Interferon-alpha
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Receptors, CCR3
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Receptors, CCR5
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Receptors, CXCR3
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Receptors, Chemokine
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Interleukin-4
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Interferon-gamma