Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) deregulates the immune system and cell cycle, resulting in loss of immune tolerance and disease, including HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Three prime repair exonuclease 1 (TREX1) maintains innate immune tolerance of the host and host-cell permissiveness to retroviral infections. TREX1 polymorphisms may influence the course of infection and autoimmune manifestations. The influence of TREX1 531C/T polymorphism was investigated in HTLV-1 infection and development of symptoms among 151 persons infected with HTLV-1 (32 HAM/TSP, 19 rheumatologic manifestations, two dermatitis, five more than one diagnosis, two probable HAM/TSP, and 91 asymptomatic individuals) and 100 uninfected persons in the control group. Polymorphism genotyping and proviral load quantification were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) were screened by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. No statistically significant difference was found in polymorphism genotype and allele frequencies between the infected and control groups. HAM/TSP patients showed higher frequency of TT genotype than asymptomatic persons (p = 0.0339). Proviral load was significantly higher among individuals with CT/TT genotypes and CC genotype carriers had lower proviral load and higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines. ANAs were present only in the HAM/TSP group. TREX1 531C>T polymorphism seems to be associated with TREX-1 regulation and HTLV-1 infection.
Keywords: ANA; HAM/TSP; HTLV-1; TREX1; cytokines; polymorphism; proviral load.