The significance of immune disorder in tropical spastic paraparesis.
The reports of the occurrence of HTLV-1 infection and/or HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) in patients with certain organ-specific and nonorgan-specific autoimmune diseases prompted us to assess the relationship between TSP and humoral autoimmunity. Blood samples from 76 TSP patients, 60 asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers and 100 HTLV-1 seronegative blood donors were examined for the presence of organ-specific and nonorgan-specific autoantibodies, reactive serological tests for syphilis, immunoglobulin and complement concentrations as well as immunecomplexes. High prevalences of autoantibodies (39/76, 51%), reactive serological tests for syphilis (23/76; 30%), hypergammaglobulinaemia (69/76, 90%) and complement fixing immune complexes (44/76, 58%) were found in the TSP patients. These indicators of immunological disorder were found in statistically significantly lower prevalences in asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (12/60, 20%; p < 0.001; 6/60, 10%; p < 0.05; 32/60, 53%; p < 0.001 and 8/60, 13%; p < 0.001, respectively) and HTLV-1 seronegative blood donors (8/100, 8%; p < 0.001; 3/100, 3%; p < 0.001; 15/100, 15%; p < 0.001 and 5/100, 5%; p < 0.001, respectively). The profiles of autoimmune phenomena observed in the patient and control groups revealed that they were associated with TSP rather than mere HTLV-1 infection and consequently pathogenetic significance. The array of immunological features present in TSP was suggestive of autoimmune disease resulting from immune dysfunction. Studies which explore the possible existence of HTLV-1 induced autoantibodies with specificity for antigens of the spinal cord in TSP might be useful in elucidating its pathogenesis.
Smikle
M F
MF
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of the West Indies Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
Barton
E N
EN
Morgan
O C
OC
Luseko
J
J
Bailey
V E
VE
Williams
E M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology*
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D003165:Complement System Proteins