THROMBOMODULIN IN THE SERA OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS AND HUMAN LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-1-ASSOCIATED MYELOPATHY

Damage to the blood-brain barrier, which mainly consists of cerebral e ndothelial cells, has been demonstrated in multiple sclerosis (MS) cli nically and histochemically. To investigate the endothelial cell damag e, we evaluated the presence of soluble thrombomodulin in the sera of patients with MS and human T lymphotropic virus type-1-associated myel opathy (HAM) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum thrombo modulin levels were significantly increased in patients with acute rel apsing MS during an exacerbation and chronic progressive MS as compare d with those of controls (P < 0.001, respectively). Patients with HAM also had higher serum levels of thrombomodulin than did controls (P < 0.001). There was significant difference between patients with HAM and seropositive non-HAM carriers (P < 0.01). These results suggest that the detection of serum thrombomodulin could be used as a marker of end othelial cell damage in inflammatory diseases such as MS and HAM.