title: Accumulation of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected cells in the cerebrospinal fluid during the exacerbation of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
abstract: Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a slowly progressive, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). We report a patient with transverse myelitis, who exhibited acute onset and rapid progression of the disease and whose symptoms resembled those observed in multiple sclerosis with spinal cord presentation. During neurological exacerbation of the condition, the HTLV-I proviral load in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increased to 10 times that in the peripheral blood. This suggests that the accumulation of HTLV-I-infected cells in the CNS contributes to neurological exacerbation. Based on the increased proviral load in the CSF, we diagnosed the disease as acute progressive HAM/TSP. The measurement of the HTLV-I proviral load in the CSF is useful for the diagnosis of HAM/TSP and for monitoring its progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takenouchi
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Kimiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arimura
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izumo
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osame
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral