Immunohistochemical characteristics of polymyositis in patients with HTLV‐1–associated myelopathy and HTLV‐I carriers

摘要

AbstractThe immunohistochemical characteristics of polymyositis in patients with HTLV‐I‐associated myelopathy (HAM) and HTLV‐I carriers were studied. Infiltrating cells were predominantly T cells and were not different from in the control group. All specimens contained positively staining muscle fibers for MHC class I antigens, but class II antigens were also expressed in some muscle fibers in 1 patient with HTLV‐I‐negative polymyositis, 3 patients with HTLV‐I‐positive polymyositis, and all 5 HAM patients with polymyositis. Expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule was lowest in the HAM patients. These findings may suggest a different immune environment in polymyositis with HAM. © 1993 John Wi