Abstract: As a technique enabling to simply and accurately diagnose human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) related disease, there is provided a diagnostic method for an HTLV-1 related disease based on an amount of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) in a blood sample taken from a subject, wherein (1) it is determined based on an increase of the amount of TNFR2 that the subject suffers from, or is likely to develop, the HTLV-1 related disease; and/or (2) it is determined based on a decrease of the amount of TNFR2 that the subject is in remission, or is likely to be in remission, of the HTLV-1 related disease.

Abstract: A possibility of a dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccination against HIV-1 infection in humans was explored in SCID mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). HIV-1-negative normal human PBMC were transplanted into the spleens of SCID mice (hu-PBL-SCID-spl) together with autologous mature DC pulsed with either inactivated HIV-1 (R5 or X4 strain) or ovalbumin (OVA), followed by a booster injection with autologous DC pulsed with respective antigens after 5 days. Five days later, these mice were challenged ip. with R5 HIV-1JR-CSF. Analysis of infection on seven days post infection showed that the DC-HIV-1-immunized hu-PBL-SCID-spl mice, irrespective of immunized HIV-1 strains, were protected against the HIV-1 infection. In contrast, none of the DC-OVA-immunized mice were protected. Sera from the DC-HIV-1-, but not DC-OVA-, immunized mice interfered with in vitro infection of activated PBMC and macrophages with R5, but not X4, HIV-1.