Abstract
It has been reported that human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is closely associated with the development of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Furthermore, it has become to be known that the interleukin-2 (IL-2)/interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) system in ATL plays an important role in HTLV-I-related leukemogenesis.In the study, IL-2 production and IL-2R expression of mononuclear cells (MNCs) in the blood of patients with HTLV-I-related disease were examined by cultivating the MNCs in the presence or absence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The sandwich radioimmunoassay method was used for quantitation of IL-2 in the supernatant of the medium, and the direct immunofluorescence method was employed for the detection of IL-2R.Spontaneous IL-2 production from MNCs was seen in 3 of 8 patients with acute and lymphoma type of ATL, in 6 of 9 with chronic type of ATL, in 6 of 10 with smouldering type of ATL, and in 20 of 32 HTLV-I carriers. However, IL-2 production was not induced by PHA stimulation in 7 of 8 patients with acute and lymphoma type of ATL, in 7 of 9 with chronic type of ATL, in 3 of 10 with smouldering type of ATL, and in 10 of 32 HTLV-I carriers.IL-2R expression on MNCs from these patients with HTLV-I-related disease increased by the cultivation. However, the rate of increase of the IL-2R expression in the PHA-stimulated group (IL-2R expression after culture/that of fresh cells) decreased in association with the progression of HTLV-I-related disease.These data revealed that MNCs from not only patients with ATL but also from some HTLV-I carriers showed abnormal IL-2 production and IL-2R expression. In other words, the IL-2/IL-2R system abonormality present in ATL also exists in some HTLV-I carriers. Further study of HTLV-I carriers with this IL-2/IL-2R abnormality is necessary to predict whether ATL develops in the patients.
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