Concentrações de neopterina no soro e líquido cefalorraquidiano em pacientes com paraparesia espástica tropical/mielopatia associada ao HTLV-I (TSP/HAM) e indivíduos HTLV-I assintomáticos em Manaus, AM-Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: The HTLV-I infection may lead to the HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), which is a chronic demyelinating neurological disease that affects the spinal cord and the white brain substance. Less than 5% of HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals will develop this disease. The first appearances of the disease occur in the fourth life decade and the march disorders, the muscle weakness and the hardness of the inferior members constitute the most important signs and symptoms. There is no effective treatment for this myelopath. Numerous researches sustain the idea that the inflammation and immunological process contribute for HAM/TSP pathophysiology. In this research, the neopterin concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) serum were evaluated in patients with HAM/TSP and individuals with HTLV-I asymptomatic. Neopterin is a substance released by macrophage after stimulation by interferon-γ during the immune system activation process. Methodology: A neopterin concentrations were being in eleven HAM/TSP patients and twenty-one HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals. From this, eleven (34, 4%) of serum samples and ten (62, 5%) CSF samples from HAM/TSP patients, and twentyone (65, 6%) serum samples and six (37, 5%) CSF samples from HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals. The quantitative determination of neopterin concentration in serum and CSF was carried out by using a commercial diagnosis set, based on the principle of Enzyme immunoassay (ELISA), competitive type. Results: The average age for HAM/TSP patients was 48, 5 +11, 1 years-old and for HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals was 41, 5 + 7,7 years-old (p=0, 0440). The neopterin concentration average (DP) in serum of HAM/TSP patients was 10, 3 + 8, 9 nmol/l and for HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals was 4, 6 +/- 1, 2 nmol/l (Mann- Whitney, p=0, 0069). The average neopterin concentration (DP) in CSF of HAM/TSP patients was 30, 8 + 47, 8 nmol/l and for HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals was 3, 4 + 1, 1 nmol/l (Mann-Whitney, p=0, 0011). The average duration of the disease of HAM/TSP patients was 8,0 + 5 years and the average (DP) for motor disability was 4,6 + 1,8 (variation from 0 to 10). Conclusion: Differences in the average of neopterin concentration in serum and CSF were found between HAM/TSP patients and HTLV-I asymptomatic individuals. In HAM/TSP patients, neopterin concentration in serum and CSF haven’t shown any correlation with the disease period. The neopterin concentrations in CSF have shown correlation with the grade of motor disability, however, the same result was not observed in the serum.