Comparative studies on IL-6 production status in HTLV-1 chronically infected cell lines derived from different HTLV-1 associated pathologies.

We have comparatively studied the qualitative and quantitative status of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) production in several HTLV-1 chronically infected T-cell lines derived from patients suffering either of adult-T-cell leukemia/lymphoma or of tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP). Two other HTLV-1 chronically infected cell lines, coming from healthy seropositive carriers, were also analyzed. Our results demonstrate that, independently of the origin, all these T cell lines, as compared to uninfected HTLV-1 T cell ones, which were always IL-6 non producers, synthesize and yield comparable amounts of IL-6 synthesis, he nosological origin of infecting viral strains does not seem to play a differential role on IL-6 qualitative or quantitative production parameters.