CHARACTERIZATION OF A UNIQUE T-CELL CLONE ESTABLISHED FROM A PATIENT WITH HAM TSP WHICH RECOGNIZED HTLV-I-INFECTED T-CELL ANTIGENS AS WELL AS SPINAL-CORD TISSUE ANTIGENS/

Five T-cell clones reactive to autologous HTLV-I-infected T-cells (KOD A-TV) were established from peripheral blood lymphocytes of a HAM/TSP patient (KODA) by the limiting dilution method. All the clones showed CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD25(+) surface markers and expressed alpha beta(+) T-cell receptors to recognize KODA-TV antigens. One of the five T-cel l clones (KODA-408) was infected with HTLV-I but the remaining four cl ones (KODA-400, 404, 405 and 409) were free of HTLV-I infection. KODA- 408 recognized both KODA-TV and spinal. cord antigens, the latter bein g extracted from autopsy tissues of a HTLV-I seronegative donor. KODA- 408 did not recognize either alloantigens of peripheral blood mononucl ear cells extracted from unrelated HTLV-I seronegative donors or purif ied human myelin basic protein. KODA-408 T-cell clone produced a consi derable amount of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-6. The CDR3 motif of KO DA-408 T-cell receptor showed a unique sequence CASSAGQS of V beta 8-D beta-J beta 1.5. These results indicated that HAM/TSP CD4(+) T-cells were polyclonally activated by HTLV-I infection and antigenic stimulat ion. The T-cell repertoire shaped by HTLV-I infection included T-cells which recognized HTLV-I-infected T-cell antigens as well as spinal co rd antigen in particular.