title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoyama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakaki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goto
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D016356:Gene Products, tax; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins