Antiretroviral therapy in sporadic adult amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Clinical and experimental findings in idiopathic amyothrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) would be compatible with a retroviral involvement. In 35 adult patients with non-familial ALS we observed elevated circulating immune complexes, a decrease in IgG3 isotype and enzyme-linked sorbent assay (ELISA) serum antibodies against human spuma retrovirus (HSRV), confirmed by specific human foamy virus immunoblots. All 35 were negative for IgM or relevant IgG anti-ganglioside antibodies. We treated 12 HIV-negative, immune-complex-positive ALS patients with 500 mg d-1 zidovudine p.o. over 2-10 months and found reductions of serum creatine kinase and circulating immune complexes from two days to two weeks after the beginning of medication.
Westarp
M E
ME
Ulm University Dept. Neurology, Germany.
Bartmann
P
P
Rössler
J
J
Geiger
E
E
Westphal
K P
KP
Schreiber
H
H
Fuchs
D
D
Westarp
M P
MP
Kornhuber
H H
HH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016092:Spumavirus / Q000276:immunology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015215:Zidovudine