Association of cytokines, neurological disability, and disease duration in HAM/TSP patients

Abstract

Objective: To identify clinical and immunological markers associated with HTLV-I associated myelopath y / tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Method: 237 HTLV-I infected individuals were clinically assessed. They were classified according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Osame’s 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-were detected in unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HAM/TSP patients as compared with HTLV-I carriers. Conclusion: This study shows the validity of the neurological scales to classify the degree of neurological disability in HTLV-I carriers and suggests a pro g ressive behavior of HAM/TSP. This study also shows that IFN-in PBMC supernatants are markers of HAM/TSP.