Differentiation of HAM/TSP from patients with multiple sclerosis infected with HTLV-I

Abstract

The high proviral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in CSF or both may be a good marker of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and can differentiate patients with HAM/TSP from patients with multiple sclerosis infected with HTLV-I.