Human T‑Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Changes Leukocyte Number and Oxidative Stress in the Lung and Blood of Female BALB/c Mice

Human T‑cell leukemia virus type 1(HTLV‑1) infection is likely to induce nonneoplastic inflammatory pulmonary diseases. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted to evaluate the leukocytes’ number alteration and oxidative stress in the lung and blood of HTLV‑1‑infected BALB/c mice, which could be of benefit for the recognition of HTLV‑1 mechanism in the induction of pulmonary disorders.

Twenty female BALB/c mice were divided into two groups of control and HTLV‑1‑infected animals. The HTLV‑1‑infected group was inoculated with 106 MT‑2 HTLV‑1‑infected cells. Two months later, the infection was confirmed using real‑time polymerase chain reaction, and then lung pathological changes, total and differential inflammatory cell counts in the blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), along with oxidative stress biomarker levels in the BALF and lung tissue were evaluated.

In the HTLV‑1‑infected group, the peribronchitis score (P < 0.01), the number of total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes (P < 0.05) in the blood and BALF were increased. The number of eosinophils in the blood of the HTLV‑1‑infected group was higher than in the control group (P < 0.01), whereas the number of basophils of BALF was increased in the HTLV‑1‑infected group (P < 0.001).The lung and BALF oxidative stress results showed that the MDA level was increased, while the total thiol level and superoxide dismutase activity were decreased in the HTLV‑1‑infected group (P < 0.01).

The HTLV‑1 infection seems to induce pulmonary inflammatory reactions by recruiting leukocytes as well as inducing oxidative stress in the lung tissue.