Abstract
We describe an immunosuppressed patient who developed myelopathy after transfusion with human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1-infected blood products during cardiac transplantation; immunoglobulins and fibrinogen deposition indicated disruption of the blood-brain barrier. The low degree of inflammation and virus expression suggests that demyelination may have been caused by an antibody- and complement-mediated process and by an alteration of the spinal cord microenvironment with activation of microglial cells and astrocytes.
Publication types
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Case Reports
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Apoptosis
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Astrocytes / immunology
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Blood Transfusion
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Blood-Brain Barrier
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Demyelinating Diseases / immunology
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Demyelinating Diseases / pathology*
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Demyelinating Diseases / virology
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Fibrinogen / metabolism
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HTLV-I Infections / immunology
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HTLV-I Infections / pathology
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Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / genetics
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Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / immunology
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Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / metabolism*
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Humans
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Immunocompromised Host
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Male
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Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / immunology
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Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / pathology*
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Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / virology