Figure 2. HTLV-1 primes cells for leukotriene generation.

(A–D) 10⁶ peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured for 48 hours and then treated for 30 min with A23187 (0.5 µM) before detection of LTB₄ (A, C) and LTC₄ (B, D) by EIA (n = 7 per group). (A, B) Cells from non-infected healthy donors were seeded alone (unstimulated) or in the presence of cell-free HTLV-1 (HTLV-1 virions). (C, D) Cells from non-infected healthy donors (NI), HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers (HAC) and HAM/TSP patients (HAM) were cultured. (E,F) Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to detect 5-LO (E) and LTC₄ synthase (F). The relative expression levels of these genes were determined in PBMCs from NI donors, HACs and HAM/TSP patients (n = 15 per group). Gene expression levels were normalized to the expression level of GAPDH mRNA in the same real-time PCR reaction. The data are presented as means ± SEM. *p<0.05, compared with unstimulated samples or NI donors; ^# p<0.05, compared with HACs (t-test or one-way ANOVA as appropriate).