Low Frequency Of Regulatory B-Cells And Increased CD4+ and CD8+ Interferon-γ-producing cells in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis associated with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type.

Yulieth Cristina Bermúdez Burbano,Nancy Marin-Agudelo,Angie Vanessa Caicedo Paz,Gloria Inés Ávila Gonzáles,Rosa Amalia Dueñas-Cuellar,Juan Sebastián Rodríguez Constain,Victoria Eugenia Niño Castaño,Julio César Klínger Hernández,Cristhian Camilo Rivera Caldon

doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0101-2019

Abstract

Tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) is a disease caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) that mainly infects CD4 T cells-for example, those of the CD4+CD25hiFOXP3+ [Treg] phenotype-where it inhibits forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) expression and promotes interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression. However, the role it exerts on regulatory B cells (CD19+CD24hiCD38hi; Breg) is unknown. The frequencies of Treg and Breg cells was evaluated and the Th1 profiles were assessed in TSP/HAM patients and healthy control subjects. Low percentages of Breg cells and high production of IFN-γ were observed in patients compared to those in healthy control subjects. The low percentage of Breg cells in patients and the increase in the frequency of Th1 cells suggest an imbalance in the control of the inflammatory response that contributes to the immunopathogenesis of TSP/HAM.

Highlights

Tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) is a disease caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) that mainly infects CD4 T cells—for example, those of the CD4+CD25hiFOXP3+ [Treg] phenotype—where it inhibits forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) expression and promotes interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression
Nine healthy control subjects negative for HTLV-1 by serology, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and without acute or chronic conditions were included and were matched to patients according to age and sex
The present work evaluated the percentages of Treg (CD4+CD25hi and CD4+CD25hiFOXP3+), Breg (CD19+CD24hi CD38hi), and CD4 and CD8 IFN-γ -producing cells in nine patients with TSP/HAM, compared to those in healthy control subjects

Summary

Introduction

Tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) is a disease caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) that mainly infects CD4 T cells—for example, those of the CD4+CD25hiFOXP3+ [Treg] phenotype—where it inhibits forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) expression and promotes interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression. The role it exerts on regulatory B cells (CD19+CD24hiCD38hi; Breg) is unknown. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was the first human retrovirus with oncogenic properties to be described[1] It affects 5–10 million people worldwide, especially endemic regions such as Africa, Japan, the Caribbean, Iran, Australia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia[2]. Despite the data shown above, epidemiological studies of the virus have not been carried out, which has limited knowledge of its prevalence in Colombia

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