IgA antiphospholipid antibodies in HTLV-1-associated tropical spastic paraparesis.
A retrovirus, human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), is an essential but not a sufficient aetiologic factor for tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP). Because some TSP patients have biological false positive tests for treponemal infections (BFP-STS), we used ELISA to study BFP-STS and anticardiolipin antibodies in 42 Jamaican TSP patients. The data indicate that in TSP anticardiolipin antibodies occur in about 26% of patients, are associated with biological false positive treponemal serology, are relatively restricted to the IgA isotype and may be induced by HTLV-1 or other nontreponemal infections.
Wilson
W A
WA
Department of Medicine, Lousiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112, USA.
Morgan Ost
C
C
Barton
E N
EN
Smikle
M
M
Hanchard
B
B
Blattner
W A
WA
Doggett
S
S
Gharavi
A E
AE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology*; D014211:Treponemal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D007070:Immunoglobulin A