Association of cytokines, neurological disability, and disease duration in HAM/TSP patients.
OBJECTIVE
To identify clinical and immunological markers associated with HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP).


METHODS
237 HTLV-I infected individuals were clinically assessed. They were classified according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Osames Motor Disability Score (OMDS). Cytokine levels were determined in HTLV-I seropositive individuals.


RESULTS
37 patients had HAM/TSP. There was a correlation between the degrees of disability assessed by both scales. There was also a correlation between the duration of HAM/TSP and the severity of disability assessed by either EDSS or OMDS. Higher levels of IFN-gamma were detected in unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HAM/TSP patients as compared with HTLV-I carriers.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows the validity of the neurological scales to classify the degree of neurological disability in HTLV-I carriers and suggests a progressive behavior of HAM/TSP. This study also shows that IFN-gamma in PBMC supernatants are markers of HAM/TSP.
Muniz
André Luiz
AL
Serviço de Imunologia, Hospital Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. muniz.a@uol.com.br
Rodrigues
Waldyr
W
Santos
Silvane B
SB
de Jesus
Amélia R
AR
Porto
Aurélia F
AF
Castro
Néviton
N
Oliveira-Filho
Jamary
J
Almeida
Juliana Passos
JP
Moreno-Carvalho
Otávio
O
Carvalho
Edgar M
EM
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines