title: Systemic interferon-alpha in the treatment of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
abstract: Treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) was undertaken in 16 patients with human T-lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy (HAM). All patients had progressive spastic paraparesis before treatment. Twelve patients were enrolled in an open therapeutic trial with a dose of 3.0 x 10(6) IU/day of IFN-alpha and 4 in a randomized, double-blind, multidose (3.0 x 10(6), 1.0 x 10(6) or 0.3 x 10(6) IU/day) trial. IFN-alpha was injected intramuscularly for 28 days. Eight of 12 patients enrolled in an open trial and 2 patients receiving a dose of 3.0 x 10(6) IU/day of IFN-alpha in a randomized trial showed clinical improvements during and after the treatment. The results showed that, although not for all patients, systemic IFN-alpha with a dose of 3.0 x 10(6) IU/day is effective in the treatment of HAM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurohara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fujiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neshige
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kakigi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D016898:Interferon-alpha