Antibody titers to HTLV-I-p40tax protein and gag-env hybrid protein in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis: correlation with increased HTLV-I proviral DNA load.
We studied the relationship between antibody titers to recombinant HTLV-I p40tax protein and gag-env hybrid protein in serum (by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and HTLV-I proviral DNA load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method) in 18 patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), 17 HTLV-I carriers without HAM/TSP and 16 HTLV-I uninfected controls. The IgG and IgA antibody titers to either of the proteins correlated significantly with the HTLV-I pX (coding p40tax protein) and pol DNA amounts in HTLV-I infected subjects. HAM/TSP patients had significantly higher titers of IgG and IgA antibodies to the HTLV-I proteins than did the HTLV-I carriers without HAM/TSP. While the IgM antibodies to the HTLV-I proteins were found in only 6% of HTLV-I carriers without HAM/TSP, they were found in 40% of HAM/TSP patients, especially those having both a high HTLV-I proviral DNA load and high titers of the IgG and IgA antibodies. HAM/TSP patients with the IgM antibodies had a tendency to deteriorate more frequently on the Kurtzke's disability status scale and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (leukoencephalopathy) than did those without in the two-year follow-up. Thus, the presence of IgM antibody and high titers of IgG and IgA antibodies to the HTLV-I proteins, together with the increased HTLV-I proviral DNA load, appears to distinguish HAM/TSP patients from HTLV-I carriers without HAM/TSP.
Kira
J
J
Department of Neurology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Nakamura
M
M
Sawada
T
T
Koyanagi
Y
Y
Ohori
N
N
Itoyama
Y
Y
Yamamoto
N
N
Sakaki
Y
Y
Goto
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D016356:Gene Products, tax; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins