title: Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral load in cerebrospinal fluid: a new criterion for the diagnosis of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis?
abstract: Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is associated with accumulation of HTLV-I-infected T cells in the central nervous system (CNS). However, data on HTLV-I proviral load in the CNS at the asymptomatic stage are still lacking. We measured HTLV-I proviral load in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells from 17 patients with HAM/TSP and 25 asymptomatic carriers. The percentage of HTLV-I-infected cells in CSF cells and the CSF cell : peripheral blood mononuclear cell HTLV-I proviral load ratio were always >10% and >1, respectively, in the patients with HAM/TSP but were always <10% and <1, respectively, in the asymptomatic carriers. We propose that determination of HTLV-I proviral load in CSF cells should be included as a new parameter for the diagnosis of HAM/TSP.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie-Immunologie, Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale UMR433, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fort-de-France, Martinique, France.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lezin
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olindo
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oliere
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varrin-Doyer
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marlin
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cabre
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smadja
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cesaire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000821:virology*; D011533:Proviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019798:Neopterin