1/12. High level of HTLV-I specific protein expression in a patient with adult T-cell leukemia, chronic progressive myelopathy and Kaposi's sarcoma.Analysis was made of serum anti-htlv-i antibodies, virus-specific proteins in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and proviruses in lymphocyte dna of a patient with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), Kaposi's sarcoma, and chronic myelopathy. Using Western blot and PCR (with hiv-1 specific primers), it was shown that Kaposi's sarcoma was not linked to HIV infection. Western blot analysis of serum revealed antibodies against p19, p24 and Pr 53 of HTLV-I. Examination of proteins in fresh PBL by Western blot revealed a high level of HTLV-I specific protein expression. Southern blot analysis of the patient's dna revealed two different sites for HTLV-I provirus integration.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/12. Differential diagnosis of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy and multiple sclerosis in Iranian patients.Two Iranian patients with chronic progressive spastic paraparesis and urinary dysfunction were referred to our hospital with the presumptive diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Routine CSF analysis and magnetic resonance imaging of the two patients were only partially characteristic of MS. Testing for antibodies to human T-cell leukemia virus type I [HTLV-I] in serum using a radioimmune precipitation assay revealed antibodies to HTLV-I in both patients. The infection with HTLV-I was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and liquid hybridization analysis using primers to the tax/rex region and a corresponding probe, demonstrating proviral dna in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of both patients. On the basis of these findings demonstrating the presence of proviral HTLV-I dna in the two Iranian patients, the initial diagnosis of MS was corrected to that of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). In contrast, several patients with definite MS (nine from germany, two from iran) with a relapsing and remitting form of the disease were tested for HTLV-I infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR, which yielded negative results. However, the mother of one HAM patient was found to be infected with HTLV-I. To support an association between HTLV-I infection and CNS disease in the two HAM patients, we analyzed the production of specific IgG antibodies within the CNS based on a simple enzyme immunoassay for viral IgG antibodies in CSF and serum. In the two HAM patients there was significant intrathecal antibody production directed against HTLV-I, but this was not found in any of the samples from MS patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/12. Progressive spastic myelopathy in a patient co-infected with hiv-1 and HTLV-II: autoantibodies to the human homologue of rig in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.OBJECTIVE: Human T-cell leukemia virus types I (HTLV-I) and II (HTLV-II) are closely related human retroviruses. HTLV-I has been implicated in a chronic progressive myelopathy, known as tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). We sought to determine whether autoantibodies to brain antigens were present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient with chronic progressive spastic myelopathy with evidence of both hiv-1 infection and HTLV-I/II seropositivity. DESIGN: A 54-year-old bisexual man with clinical features of HAM/TSP of over 20 years' duration was followed. methods: We applied discriminatory dna amplification (polymerase chain reaction) to distinguish HTLV-I from HTLV-II and to verify co-infection with hiv-1. The patient's CSF was used to screen a human brain cDNA expression library to identify antibodies directed against brain antigens. Autoreactive bacteriophage clones were isolated and sequenced. RESULTS: The patient was found to be co-infected with both hiv-1 and HTLV-II, but not with HTLV-I. HTLV-II proviral levels in the peripheral blood remained relatively constant, despite therapy with zidovudine. Prominent oligoclonal banding of immunoglobulins was present in the patient's CSF. A single repeatedly reactive cDNA clone was identified, by screening with CSF antibody, sequenced, and found to be the human homologue of the rat insulinoma gene, rig. CONCLUSIONS: HTLV-II infection may predispose to development of a HAM/TSP-like illness. Autoimmune mechanisms, such as autoantibody formation, may play a role in pathogenesis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/12. HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis accompanied with psoriasis.Two adult females developed HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and psoriasis. Both showed chronic progressive paraparesis and sharply demarcated erythematous scaling plaques on their extremities and trunk. One patient had polymyositis while in the other anti-thyroid antibodies, antinuclear antibodies and SS-A antibody, all autoantibodies, were positive. Both patients were treated by intramuscular injections of interferon-alpha for 2 to 4 weeks, resulting in amelioration of paraparesis. After the therapy psoriasis and polymyositis markedly improved in one patient without any additional therapy, while in the other simultaneous use of topical corticosteroids was effective. This is the first report to describe occurrences of psoriasis in HAM/TSP patients. Although there are several reports indicating interferon-alpha induces or exacerbates psoriasis, our experience suggests that psoriasis associated with HAM/TSP can be successfully managed even during interferon-alpha therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/12. Pathological and molecular biological features of a myelopathy associated with HTLV-1 infection.We report the pathological and molecular biological findings of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection of the spinal cord in a patient with a chronic progressive myelopathy. light microscopy disclosed loss of myelin and axons, thickening of blood vessels and a lymphocytic cell infiltrate in the spinal cord especially at the cervical and thoracic levels. Electron microscopy confirmed the vascular appearance seen with light microscopy but virus particles were not observed. The HTLV-1 gag gene could be amplified (by polymerase chain reaction) from cervical spinal cord tissue while not from elsewhere in the neuroaxis. The presence of HTLV-1 genomic material in spinal cord tissue has not been previously reported.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/12. Low HTLV-1 seroprevalence in endemic tropical spastic paraparesis in ethiopia.Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), a chronic progressive myelopathy, occurs in ethiopia in epidemic form as neurolathyrism, while the endemic form has remained obscure. We describe the clinical features of 22 patients with TSP and the results of screening for HTLV-1 in these patients, 26 patients with other neurological disorders, 14 patients with leukaemia and 66 blood donors. The major manifestations in the patients with TSP were weakness and spasticity of the lower limbs with upper motor neurone signs and minimal sensory loss and bladder dysfunction. Two patients with TSP (9%), 2 patients with other neurological disorders (7.7%) and one patient with leukaemia and deafness were seropositive for HTLV-1. All the 66 blood donors were seronegative. Our results suggest that HTLV-1 may not play a major role in the pathogenesis of TSP in ethiopia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/12. Pigmentary retinal degeneration in patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.Ophthalmological evaluations were made of the records of a series of 38 patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, a chronic progressive myelopathy caused by human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I). Four patients with no contributory family history showed pigmentary degenerative changes of the retina and choroid. Two of the patients (73-year-old woman, 68-year-old woman) had a progressive visual loss and night blindness with morphologic and functional features of diffuse pigmentary retinal degeneration. The other two patients (59-year-old man, 72-year-old man) complained of recently developed visual loss with sectorial or regional retinochoroidal atrophy. These elderly patients claimed that they had been healthy until a few years before presentation, not only visually but also neurologically. It was concluded, together with an epidemiologic consideration, that the coexistence of pigmentary retinal degeneration and HTLV-I-associated myelopathy is not simply chance but indicates a close association between the two conditions. It is proposed that HTLV-I infection might be a primary causative factor of degenerative changes of the retina and choroid, although the pathogenesis remains to be defined.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/12. Characterization of a sequence of human T cell leukemia virus type I from a patient with chronic progressive myelopathy.dna from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals with chronic progressive myelopathy (CPM) were extensively analyzed for the presence of human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV) type I-like sequences by using the polymerase chain reaction. The dna samples were amplified with oligonucleotides from three separate regions of HTLV viral genomes. A portion of the amplified viral genome from a representative patient was sequenced after molecular cloning into bacteriophage m13. Sequence data indicate that HTLV type I and not a related virus is associated with CPM.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/12. folliculitis decalvans and human T cell lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) can be associated with either adult T-cell leukemia or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a chronic progressive immune-mediated myelopathy. skin manifestations such as xerosis and erythema may be associated with HAM/TSP. Infective dermatitis due to staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic streptococcus has recently been described as a marker for HTLV-I infection and as a probable risk factor for the development of adult T-cell leukemia and lymphoma in Jamaican children. We report a case of folliculitis decalvans, a rare chronic follicular inflammatory process of bacterial origin that is extremely resistant to treatment, in a patient with HAM/TSP. This case suggests the possibility that the disturbance of the immune system that was observed in patients with HAM/TSP can play a role in the persistence of this severe skin lesion. In addition, the findings of our case cast doubt on the hypothesis that the cause of infective dermatitis in persons infected with HTLV-I is immunosuppression due to congenital or perinatal infection of the immature immune system.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/12. Establishment and characterization of an HTLV-I cell line from a Taiwanese patient with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.We describe a Taiwanese woman with chronic progressive myelopathy, in whom Western blot analysis of the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) displayed positive reactions to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proteins, p19, p24, p28, p36, gp46 and p53. HTLV-I proviral genomes were detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CSF cells by nested polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot hybridization. HTLV-I was successfully isolated from PBMC stimulated with interleukin-2 (IL-2). The established cell line, named THAM-1, was an IL-2-independent T-cell line with CD2 , CD3 , CD4 , CD25 and HLA-DR . Retrovirus particles with type C morphology were observed in the THAM-1 cells by electron microscopy, and HTLV-I-related antigens were also demonstrated by immunocytochemical staining and Western blot assay. Southern blot analysis revealed that HTLV-I proviral genomes were integrated into the THAM-1 cellular dna. In Northern blot analysis, two extra-species of rna were detected in addition to three typical viral transcripts. For the first time, an HTLV-I-producing T cell line was established from a patient with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy in taiwan, an HTLV-I non-endemic area.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = chronic progressive (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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