title: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I and neurologic disease in Panama, 1985 and 1986.
abstract: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) causes adult T-cell leukemia and has recently been associated with HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. The HTLV-I is endemic throughout the Caribbean basin and parts of South America, and HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis also seems to be common in this area. This 2-year study, 1985 and 1986, was designed to evaluate the occurrence of HTLV-I infection in all newly diagnosed cases of selected neurologic diseases in Panama City, Panama. Six (8%) of 71 patients had antibody to HTLV-I detected by immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, radioimmunoassay, and Western blot assays; 5 patients' conditions were diagnosed as spastic paraparesis, and all 5 were seropositive and also had HTLV-I antibody in cerebrospinal fluid. The remaining seropositive patient had multiple sclerosis, and no antibody was detected in her cerebrospinal fluid. Clinical and electrophysiologic studies indicated that HTLV-I-associated spastic paraparesis is a multifocal, primarily demyelinating disease that principally involves the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Santo Tomas Hospital, Panama City, Panama.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gracia
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chavarría
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grimaldo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Triana
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Arosemena
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Blattner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010375:Pedigree
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies