ABSTRACT
To determine CD4+ T-cell epitopes of HTLV-I-envelope protein recognized by the HLA alleles associated with HAM/TSP, we established 20 CD4+ T-cell lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of naive healthy donors using a panel of synthetic peptides spanning the entire length of HTLV-I-envelope proteins, gp46 and gp21. We quantitated the precursor frequencies of HTLV-1-envelope specific CD4+ T-cells and analyzed epitope specificity in the context of HLA alleles. The precursor frequencies ranged from 3.0 to 10.6 per 10(7) PBMCs in the naive healthy donors. The CD4+ T-cell epitopes of HTLV-I-envelope protein were clustered in amino acids 76 to 90, 136 to 160, 171 to 185 and 196 to 210 of gp46, and in amino acids 366 to 400 and 436 to 485 of gp21. The CD4+ T-cell epitopes of gp21 were preferentially recognized by HLA-DRB1 0101 and 1502 which were known to be associated with HAM/TSP. Thus, it was suggested that HTLV-I gp21 might contain the major CD4+ T-cell epitopes recognized by HLA-DRB1 alleles of HAM/TSP.
Subject(s)
Alleles , Gene Products, env/immunology , HLA-DR Antigens/immunology , Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic/immunology , Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Cell Line , Genes, MHC Class II , HLA-DR Antigens/genetics , HLA-DRB1 Chains , Hematopoietic Stem Cells/immunology , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency VirusABSTRACT
The elucidation of the clinical features of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) associated uveitis (HAU) was advanced by the results of a multicenter study performed by the collaboration of university hospitals throughout Kyushu and Okinawa and two institutions in the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan areas of Japan. A total of 426 cases of endogenous uveitis were registered during the five-month study period between September 1992 and January 1993. The etiology and clinical entity remained unknown for about half of these cases. A series of 50 cases of HTLV-I seropositive, entity-undefined uveitis were suspected to be HAU, and analyses of these cases provided the following clinical features of this recently defined uveitis entity. 1) middle-aged adult of either sex develops acute, inflammatory uveal disease and presents with visual haze or floaters, or both; 2) active disease consists of granulomatous or nongranulomatous reactions accompanied by vitreous opacities and retinal vasculitis with rare retinochoroidal exudative changes; 3) the disease resolves with response to corticosteroids, although leaving sequelae in occasional cases; 4) the disease affects one or both eyes, and up to half of cases show recurrent disease within years; 5) the visual outcome is usually favorable; 6) the disease occurs as an isolated disorder, but may sometimes be complicated by HTLV-I associated myelopathy. Hyperthyroidism is also associated in occasional cases; 7) the titer of serum HTLV-I antibodies is significantly high compared with that of HTLV-I carriers, suggesting an immune mechanism as the pathogenesis of HAU.
Subject(s)
Eye Infections, Viral/physiopathology , HTLV-I Infections/physiopathology , Uveitis/physiopathology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Child , Eye Infections, Viral/diagnosis , Eye Infections, Viral/drug therapy , Female , Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use , HTLV-I Antibodies/analysis , HTLV-I Infections/diagnosis , HTLV-I Infections/drug therapy , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Uveitis/diagnosis , Uveitis/drug therapy , Uveitis/virology , Vision Disorders/diagnosis , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
Two cases of isolated avulsed retinal vessels without retinal breaks or any other vitreoretinal disorders are reported. Case 1: a 57-year-old woman developed acute vitreous hemorrhages in the right eye associated with an avulsed retinal artery in the superior equatorial region. Case 2: a 74-year-old man had an asymptomatic avulsed retinal vein in the superior midperiphery. Repeat argon laser photocoagulation resulted in uncomplicated occlusion of the avulsed retinal vessels and reduced the risk of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage.