Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface and acknowledgments
- Section I Introduction: RNA viruses
- Section II Introduction: retroviruses, DNA viruses, and prions
- 8 Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 and disease in the central nervous system
- 9 HIV infection of the central nervous system
- 10 JC virus molecular biology and the human demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
- 11 The herpes simplex viruses
- 12 The pathogenesis of varicella-zoster virus neurotropism and infection
- 13 Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
- Section III Introduction: immunity, diagnosis, vector, and beneficial uses of neurotropic viruses
- Index
- Plate section
- References
8 - Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 and disease in the central nervous system
from Section II - Introduction: retroviruses, DNA viruses, and prions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface and acknowledgments
- Section I Introduction: RNA viruses
- Section II Introduction: retroviruses, DNA viruses, and prions
- 8 Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 and disease in the central nervous system
- 9 HIV infection of the central nervous system
- 10 JC virus molecular biology and the human demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
- 11 The herpes simplex viruses
- 12 The pathogenesis of varicella-zoster virus neurotropism and infection
- 13 Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
- Section III Introduction: immunity, diagnosis, vector, and beneficial uses of neurotropic viruses
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Introduction
The exogenous human retrovirus human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) results in a highly dynamic persistent infection that has a significant clinical impact in endemic areas. HTLV-1 usually causes an asymptomatic infection, but in a small proportion of individuals disease may develop: adult T-cell leukemia or a range of inflammatory diseases. Of these inflammatory diseases HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is the most studied. HAM/TSP is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It is rarely fatal, but can be severely debilitating. HTLV-1 is not a classical neurotropic virus and does not directly infect the cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Instead, HTLV-1 is found primarily within infiltrating, infected CD4+ T lymphocytes. CD4+ T-cell infiltration into the CNS is currently believed to be the pivotal event for the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. Here we describe the immune control of HTLV-1 infection in the periphery and discuss its relationship with inflammation in the CNS. We explore the current hypothesis of HAM/TSP pathogenesis, identify crucial factors, and suggest a new hypothesis focused on why the majority of HTLV-1-infected individuals do not develop neuroinflammatory disease.
HTLV-1
HTLV-1 was the first exogenous replication competent human retrovirus to be identified over 20 years ago by Poiesz et al. [1]. HTLV-1 virions were isolated from a cell line established from a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. HTLV-1 has since been associated with two different types of disease: lymphoma/leukemia and chronic inflammatory diseases [2, 3, 4, 5].
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- Neurotropic Viral Infections , pp. 141 - 166Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008