Abstract
10 out of 17 (59%) patients with tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) had antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus-I (HTLV-I), as did 5 out of 5 TSP patients with systemic symptoms. Only 13 out of 303 (4%) controls, made up of blood donors, medical personnel, and other neurological patients, had such antibodies. These findings suggest either that HTLV-I is neurotropic or that the virus or a related one contributes to the pathogenesis of TSP.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Antibodies, Viral / analysis*
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Antibodies, Viral / cerebrospinal fluid
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Antigens, Viral / analysis
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Deltaretrovirus / immunology*
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Deltaretrovirus / isolation & purification
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Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Martinique
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Middle Aged
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Muscle Spasticity / etiology
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Muscle Spasticity / microbiology
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Paraplegia / etiology
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Paraplegia / microbiology*
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Tropical Climate
Substances
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Antibodies, Viral
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Antigens, Viral