Host immunity
The immune response to HTLV infection in humans is char-acteristic
and depends on whether the patient develops malignancies or neuropathy. HTLV
infection is characterized by the development of circulating antibodies within
4–8 weeks, which remain positive for the rest of the life. Paradoxically, the
patients who have got high level of antibodies appear to be at a greater risk
for HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). These
antibodies do not confer any protective immunity in patients.
Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) fails to eradicate HTLV infection
possibly due to ability of the virus to spread without replication, through
cell-to-cell contact. The CMI through its cytotoxic T-cell lymphocytes appears
to contribute to the intra-medullary degeneration of the central nervous
system. On the other hand, cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte responses in patients
with HTLV are depressed, which leads to increase in the number of transformed
cells.
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