HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-1-ASSOCIATED MYELOPATHY TROPICAL SPASTIC PARAPARESIS IN SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

We conducted a prospective clinical and epidemiologic evaluation of 45 cases of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1)-associated myelop athy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, All enrolled patients had progressive chronic myelopathy and high titers o f HTLV-I and HTLV-II antibodies, as determined by enzyme immunoassay a nd western blot, In 24 cases, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed so that HTLV-I could be distinguished from HTLV-II, The clin ical and epidemiologic features of the patients from our study were si milar to those of patients with HAM/TSP from other areas of endemicity for HTLV-I except that more patients in our study had received a bloo d transfusion prior to their illness, Despite the presence of HTLV-II virus in Brazil, all patients whose serum was tested by PCR were found to be infected with the HTLV-I virus.