HAM/TSP-derived HTLV-1-infected T cell lines promote morphological and functional changes in human astrocytes cell lines: possible role in the enhanced T cells recruitment into Central Nervous System

Background The mechanisms through which HTLV-1 leads to and maintains damage in the central nervous system of patients undergoing HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/ tropical spastic paraparesis(HAM/TSP) are still poorly understood. In recent years, increasing evidence indicates that, not only lymphocytes but also glial cells, in particular astrocytes, play a role in the pathophysiology of HAM/TSP. In this study we used a model of co-culture between human HTLV-1-infected (CIB and C91PL) and non-infected (CEM) T lymphocyte cell lines and astrocyte(U251 and U87) cell lines to mimic the in vivo T cell- astrocyteinteractions.