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?

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2005-06, Vol.191 (11), p.1830-1834
• Main Authors: Lezin, Agnes, Olindo, Stephane, Olière, Stephanie, Varrin-Doyer, Michel, Marlin, Regine, Cabre, Philippe, Smadja, Didier, Cesaire, Raymond
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - cerebrospinal fluid; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Central nervous system; Cerebrospinal fluid; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human T lymphotropic virus 1; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - isolation & purification; Humans; Infectious diseases; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - virology; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Neopterin - cerebrospinal fluid; Nervous system diseases; Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic - cerebrospinal fluid; Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic - virology; Polymerase chain reaction; Proviruses - isolation & purification; Spastic paraparesis; T lymphocytes; Viral Load; Virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/429962

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