title: Chronic myelopathies associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I. A clinical, serologic, and immunovirologic study of ten patients in France.
abstract: Chronic myelopathy associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) has been described in HTLV-I endemic areas. In Paris, 167 neurologic patients were screened for HTLV-I by enzyme-linked immunosorbent, indirect immunofluorescent, and Western blot assays. Ten of the 11 patients with positive results had a chronic spastic paraparesis with IgG oligoclonal bands and elevated HTLV-I antibody index. Two of them had been born and were living in France, without HTLV-I risk factors. Evoked potentials were abnormal in the nine tested patients and brain magnetic resonance images in three of seven patients. No improvement was observed with steroid treatment. A retrovirus similar to HTLV-I was isolated in five cases at different periods of the disease. Hypotheses of limited endemic areas in western countries are discussed. Early presence and persistence of HTLV-I suggest that it is the etiologic agent.
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neuropsychology Clinic, Salpétrière Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gout
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gessain
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bolgert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tournier-Lasserve
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lasneret
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caudie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De-Thé
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lhermitte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies