Original Article

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II–associated myelopathy: Clinical and immunologic profiles

  1. Tanya J. Lehky1,
  2. Nicholas Flerlage1,
  3. Henry F. McFarland1,
  4. Dr Steven Jacobson1,*,
  5. David Katz2,
  6. Sidney Houff4,
  7. Willaim H. Hall5,
  8. Kazuyoshi Ishii5,
  9. Claude Monken6,
  10. Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut3

Article first published online: 8 OCT 2004

DOI: 10.1002/ana.410400507

Issue

Annals of Neurology

Annals of Neurology

Volume 40, Issue 5, pages 714–723, November 1996

Additional Information

How to Cite

Lehky, T. J., Flerlage, N., McFarland, H. F., Jacobson, S., Katz, D., Houff, S., Hall, W. H., Ishii, K., Monken, C. and Dhib-Jalbut, S. (1996), Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II–associated myelopathy: Clinical and immunologic profiles. Annals of Neurology, 40: 714–723. doi: 10.1002/ana.410400507

Author Information

  1. 1

    Neuroinimunology Brancli, NINDS, NIH, Baltimore, MD

  2. 2

    Office of Clinical Director. NINDS and Laborarory of Pathology, NCI, NIH. Bethesda, Baltimore, MD

  3. 3

    Neurology Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD

  4. 4

    Deparrmenr of Neurology, VAMC-Washington, DC, Washingron, DC

  5. 5

    Laboratory of Medical Virology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY

  6. 6

    Thomas Jeffrrson University, Philadelphia, PA

*Neuroimmunology Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 OCT 2004
  2. Article first published online: 8 OCT 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 15 MAY 1996
  4. Manuscript Revised: 24 APR 1996
  5. Manuscript Received: 5 FEB 1996

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Abstract

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) is endemic in several ethnic tribes and among intravenous drug users in metorpolitan areas. Despite the presence of HTLV-II in these various populations, the association of HTLV-II with disease is sparse and mainly limited to isolated case reports. This study is an extension of an earlier description of an HTLV-II-infected patient with neurologic disease and presents the clinical and immunologic findings of 4 patients with HTLV-II seropositivity and spastic paraparesis. The patients are of African-American orgin with 3 of the patients with HTLV-II seropositivity and spastic paraparesis. The patients are of African-American origin with 3 of the patients being of Amerindian descent. All of the patients are seronegative for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The patients progressed to a nonambulatory state in less than 5 years. Magnetic resonacne imaging studies obtained jfrom 3 of the patients demonstratd white matter disease in the cerebrum and spinal cord. The cerebrospinal fluid and serum contained antibodies to HTLV-II. Ther presence of proviral HTLV-II was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). A spinal cord biopsy from 1 patient demonstratd HTLV RNA within a lesion. Immunolgic studies on 2 patients demonstrated that spontaneous lymphoproliferation of PBLs was present but decreased relative to HTLV-I-infected patients. The clinical and immunologic findings from these HTLV-II-infected patient resemble those found in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.

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