Association of cytokines, neurological disability, and disease duration in HAM/TSP patients
Muniz, Aé.Luiz.; Rodrigues, W.; Santos, S.B.; de Jesus, Aélia.R.; Porto, Aélia.F.; Castro, Néviton.; Oliveira-Filho, J.; Almeida, J.Passos.; Moreno-Carvalho, Oávio.; Carvalho, E.M.
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria 64(2a): 217-221
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-282X PMID: 16791359 Document Number: 604052
To identify clinical and immunological markers associated with HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). 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. 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. 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.