Avaliação fenotípica e funcional dos linfócitos T citotóxicos de indivíduos infectados pelo HTLV-1 com diagnóstico de HAM/TSP / Phenotypic and functional assessment of cytotoxic T lymphocytes from individuals infected with HTLV-1 diagnosed with HAM / TSP

O Brasil representa uma das áreas endêmicas para o vírus linfotrópico de células T humanas do tipo 1 (HTLV-1) e a cidade de Salvador, Bahia, possui a maior prevalência nacional da infecção por este retrovírus (1,8%), com cerca de 50.000 pessoas infectadas. O HTLV-1 foi o primeiro retrovírus humano descrito e está classicamente associado à leucemia/linfoma de células T do adulto (ATLL) e à mielopatia associada ao HTLV-1/paraparesia espástica tropical (HAM/TSP). A HAM/TSP é uma doença inflamatória do sistema nervoso central, cujos mecanismos imunopatogênicos não estão completamente elucidados. O papel dos linfócitos T citotóxicos na patogênese desta doença ainda não está bem definido. Neste estudo, foram avaliados o fenótipo e a função de linfócitos T citotóxicos de pacientes infectados pelo HTLV-1 com HAM/TSP...

Brazil represents one of the largest endemic areas for human T-lymphotropic virus cells type 1 (HTLV-1) infection and associated diseases. Salvador, Bahia, is considered as the Brazilian city with the highest national HTLV-1prevalence (around 1.8% in the general population). HTLV -1 was the first human retrovirus described and is classically associated with adult Tcell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HAM/TSP is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and your immunopathogenic mechanisms are not completely understood. The role of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) in the pathogenesis of this disease is still undefined. In this study we evaluated the phenotype and function of cytotoxic Tlymphocytes from HTLV-1-infected patients with HAM/TSP...

Mielopatía por déficit de vitamina B12: caracterización clínica de 11 casos / Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord caused by vitamin B12 deficiency: report of 11 cases

Background: Subacute combined degeneration is a clinical manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency, that we observe with unusual frequency. Aim: To report a series of eleven patients with subacute combined degeneration. Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of 11 patients hospitalized in a public hospital in Santiago, between March 2001 and February 2003. All had a myelopathy of more than three weeks of evolution with serum vitamin B12 levels of less than 200 pg/ml. Results: A risk factor was identified in 10 cases and the most common was an age over 60 years old. The main presenting symptom was the presence of paresthesias. On admission, sphincter dysfunction, posterior column and pyramidal syndromes coexisted in nine patients. A level of sensitive deficit was detected in six. Ten patients had macrocytosis and eight were anemic. Serum vitamin B12 was measured in ten and in nine, it was below 200 pg/ml. The mean lapse between onset of symptoms and treatment was eight months. All received intramuscular vitamin B12 in doses on 1,000 to 10,000 IU/day. Sphincter dysfunction and propioception were the first symptoms to improve. Conclusions: Subacute combined degeneration must be suspected in patients older than 60 years with a subacute myelopathic syndrome and low serum vitamin B12 levels.