Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Neurol. Sep 28, 2015; 5(3): 68-73
Published online Sep 28, 2015. doi: 10.5316/wjn.v5.i3.68
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis: Clinical presentation and pathophysiology
Jean-Pierre Louboutin
Jean-Pierre Louboutin, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Author contributions: Louboutin JP wrote the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Jean-Pierre Louboutin, MD, PhD, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica. jplouboutin@hotmail.com
Telephone: +1-876-3680554
Received: February 1, 2015
Peer-review started: February 2, 2015
First decision: March 6, 2015
Revised: March 30, 2015
Accepted: July 7, 2015
Article in press: July 8, 2015
Published online: September 28, 2015
Abstract

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which lesions of the central nervous system cause progressive weakness, stiffness, and a lower limb spastic paraparesis. In some cases, polymyositis, inclusion body myositis, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like syndromes are associated with HTLV-1. TSP was first described in Jamaica in 1888 and known as Jamaican peripheral neuritis before TSP was related to HTLV-1 virus, the first retrovirus being identified, and the disease is since named HAM/TSP. There is no established treatment program for HAM/TSP. Prevention is difficult in low-income patients (i.e., HTLV-1 infected breast feeding mothers in rural areas, sex workers). Thus, there is a need for new therapeutic avenues. Therapeutic approaches must be based on a better understanding, not only of clinical and clinicopathological data, but also of the pathophysiology of the affection. Consequently, a better understanding of existing or newly developed animal models of HAM/TSP is a prerequisite step in the development of new treatments.

Keywords: Tropical spastic paraparesis, Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1, Polymyositis, Animal models, Retroviruses, Myelopathy, Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy, Pathogenesis

Core tip: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which lesions of the central nervous system cause progressive weakness, stiffness, and a lower limb spastic paraparesis. There is no established treatment program for HAM/TSP. Prevention is difficult in low-income patients. Thus, there is a need for new therapeutic avenues that must be based on a better understanding, not only of clinical and clinicopathological data, but also of the pathophysiology of the affection. Consequently, a better understanding of existing or newly developed animal models of HAM/TSP is a prerequisite step in the development of new treatments.