Lower numbers of circulating natural killer T (NK T) cells in individuals with human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) associated neurological disease
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2009-12-01
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Carvalho, Karina Inacio 
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Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects 10-20 million people worldwide. the majority of infected individuals are asymptomatic; however, approximately 3% develop the debilitating neurological disease HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). There is also currently no cure, vaccine or effective therapy for HTLV-1 infection, and the mechanisms for progression to HAM/TSP remain unclear. NK T cells are an immunoregulatory T cell subset whose frequencies and effector functions are associated critically with immunity against infectious diseases. We hypothesized that NK T cells are associated with HAM/TSP progression. We measured NK T cell frequencies and absolute numbers in individuals with HAM/TSP infection from two cohorts on two continents: São Paulo, Brazil and San Francisco, CA, USA, and found significantly lower levels when compared with healthy subjects and/or asymptomatic carriers. Also, the circulating NK T cell compartment in HAM/TSP subjects is comprised of significantly more CD4(+) and fewer CD8(+) cells than healthy controls. These findings suggest that lower numbers of circulating NK T cells and enrichment of the CD4(+) NK T subset are associated with HTLV-1 disease progression.
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Clinical and Experimental Immunology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc, v. 158, n. 3, p. 294-299, 2009.