Early Effects of HTLV-1 Infection on the Activation, Exhaustion, and Differentiation of T-Cells in Humanized NSG Mice.

ABSTRACT: Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive malignancy of CD4⁺ T-cells associated with HTLV-1 infection. In this study, we used the model of immunodeficient NSG mice reconstituted with a functional human immune system (HIS) to investigate early events in HTLV-1 pathogenesis. Upon infection, human T-cells rapidly increased in the blood and lymphoid tissues, particularly CD4⁺CD25⁺ T-cells. Proliferation of CD4⁺ T-cells in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) correlated with HTLV-1 proviral load and CD25 expression. In addition, splenomegaly, a common feature of ATLL in humans, was also observed. CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells predominantly displayed an effector memory phenotype (CD45RA^-CCR7^-) and

SUBMITTER: Espindola OM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8534134 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature