Induction of cytokines in glial cells by trans activator of human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I

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Abstract
Human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I), the cause of adult T‐cell leukemia, is also associated with the neurological disease, TSP/HAM (tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV‐I associated myelopathy). The HTLV‐I genome encodes a protein, Tax, that trans activates viral and cellular gene transcription. To understand the mechanisms for the production of cytokines by HTLV‐I in nervous tissue, we examined their expression in glial cells which carried the Tax‐expressing vector. We demonstrated that Tax expression enhanced the production by glial cells of interleukin (IL)‐1, IL‐6, granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)β. We suggest that the excessive production of cytokines in nervous tissue may play a role in pathogenesis of TSP/HAM, Glial cells that carry the tax gene may provide a model useful for in vitro study of the mechanism of production of cytokines in the nervous system.