SJOGREN'S SYNDROME IN HTLV-1 TRANSGENIC MICE

HTLV-I是一种在病因学上与成人T细胞白血病相关的逆转录病毒， 热带痉挛性下肢轻瘫和可能的多发性硬化症。它 有文献记载，某些HTLV-I感染的患者会发展为干燥综合征， 综合征，一种假定的自身免疫性病因导致严重 泪腺和唾液腺功能障碍。三个创始人系列 携带HTLV-I taxl基因的转基因小鼠已被广泛研究 并且已经被证明会发展成神经纤维瘤， 与干燥综合征患者相似。进一步 这些转基因小鼠的特征提供了研究的机会， 导致这种疾病过程的机制，并可能提供新的 对理解自身免疫的见解。

HTLV-I is a retrovirus etiologically associated with adult T-cell leukemia, tropical spastic paraparesis and possibly multiple sclerosis in humans. It has been documented that certain HTLV-I-infected patients develop Sjogren's syndrome, a disease of presumed autoimmune etiology resulting in severe dysfunction of the lacrimal and salivary glands. Three founder lines of transgenic mice carrying the HTLV-I taxl gene have been extensively studied and have been shown to develop neurofibromas as well as pathology very similar to that seen in patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Further characterization of these transgenic mice offers the opportunity to study the mechanisms resulting in this disease process and may provide new insights into understanding autoimmunity.