HTLV-1 proviral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells quantified in 100 HAM/TSP patients: a marker of disease progression.
A high proviral load of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been reported in patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of HTLV-1 proviral load in PBMCs (expressed as the number of copies per 10(6) PBMCs) in HAM/TSP disease course. One hundred consecutive HAM/TSP patients were recruited and assigned on the basis of the disability score and disease duration to either a rapid (n=38) or a slow (n=62) progression group. Thirty-four asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers were also included. HTLV-1 proviral load was quantified in all HAM/TSP patients and asymptomatic subjects. The mean HTLV-1 proviral load was 6-fold lower in asymptomatic carriers than in HAM/TSP patients (18,224+/-24,811 vs. 107,905+/-96,651, p<0.0001) and significantly higher in rapid progression patients than in slow progression patients (146,469+/-98,943 vs. 84,270+/-87,912, p=0.0002). HTLV-1 proviral load in HAM/TSP patients was independent of age at the time of study, age at onset, and disease duration, and was not related to ophthalmological-associated disease or Chisholm grade. A high level of pulmonary lymphocytosis correlated with high HTLV-1 proviral load level (p=0.01). Our results suggest that the level of HTLV-1 proviral load in PBMCs parallels the course of HTLV-1 infection, being low in asymptomatic carriers and high and very high, respectively, in slow and rapid progression HAM/TSP patients. The magnitude of the HTLV-1 proviral load in PBMCs can be used as a biological marker of disease progression and could be a useful marker of disease activity in the monitoring of therapeutic trials.
Department of Neurology and UMR 433 INSERM, Pierre Zobda-Quitman Hospital, Fort-de-France, Martinique, French West Indies. stephane.olindo@chu-fortdefrance.fr
Stéphane
S
Olindo
Agnès
A
Lézin
Philippe
P
Cabre
Harold
H
Merle
Martine
M
Saint-Vil
Mireille
M
Edimonana Kaptue
Aïssatou
A
Signate
Raymond
R
Césaire
Didier
D
Smadja
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000821:virology*; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
D015415:Biomarkers; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G