Role of Integrin Signaling Activation on the Development of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus-1 (HTLV-1)-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis: Its Relationship to HTLV-1-Infected CD4 T Cell Transmigrating Activity into the Tissues.

The main clinical feature of human T cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is slowly progressive spastic paraparesis with bladder dysfunction. HAM/TSP is induced by chronic inflammation in the spinal cord, mainly the lower thoracic cord. A long-standing bystander mechanism, such as the destruction of surrounding tissues by the interaction between infiltrated Th1-like, HTLV-1-infected CD4 T cells and HTLV-1-specific CD8 cytotoxic T cells (CTL), is probably critical for the induction of chronic inflammation.

[Pilomyxoid astrocytoma presenting in an elderly patient: a case report].

A 77-year-old man presented with progressive visual disturbance. MR images revealed a mass lesion mainly spreading in the left basal cistern, sylvian fissure and to the left hypothalamic region, with ventricular enlargement. To obtain precise diagnosis of the mass lesion, an open biopsy was performed.

Macrophagic myofascitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Macrophagic myofascitis (MMF) is an unusual inflammatory myopathy characterized by muscle infiltration by macrophages and lymphocytes. Here, we describe a case of MMF which is associated with rheumatoid arthritis. A 53-year-old Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient presented with focal tenderness of lower extremities.

Catastrophic transverse myelitis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 24-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital suffering from high fever and progressive paralysis in both legs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord showed high-intensity signals from C5 to Th4 and from Th7 to L1 on T2-weighted images. The patient was diagnosed as having acute transverse myelitis trade mark, which was a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus based on the serological findings.

Cytapheresis with a filter for selective removal of CD4+ T cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a major animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). CD4+ T cells are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of EAE and MS. In order to investigate the depletion of CD4+ T cells from the systemic circulation as an effective strategy for the treatment of MS, we performed extracorporeal CD4+ T cell adsorption, using a filter to which anti-CD4+ antibody is immobilized as a ligand, in adoptively transferred EAE.

Increased sialyl Lewis(x) antigen-positive cells mediated by HTLV-1 infection in peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocytes in patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy.

Sialyl Lewis(x) antigen-positive (sLe(x+)) cells play an important role in the first step of transmigration of T lymphocytes through vascular endothelial cells into tissues. We compared the proportion of sLe(x+) cells in peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocytes between patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM) and control patients, by using flow cytometry. The percentage of sLe(x+) cells in peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocytes was significantly higher in HAM patients compared to control patients.

Up-regulation of interleukin-12 receptor expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.

We previously reported elevated levels of serum interleukin-12 (IL-12) in association with increased interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) levels in patients with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The interaction between IL-12 and IL-12 receptor (IL-12R) plays an important role in differentiation of the T helper type 1 (Th1) phenotype. In this study, we further examined the IL-12/IL-12R axis by investigating the expression of IL-12R and CD40 ligand (CD40L) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 18 HAM/TSP patients, and comparing the levels with those in 25 patients with other neurological disorders, including 4 anti-HTLV-I-seropositive carriers as controls.