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Correlation Between TWEAK Serum Level and HTLV-1 Proviral Load in HAM/TSP
Nafiseh Taheri1, Mona Fani2, Hashem Khanbabaei3
1Department of Medical Microbiology (Bacteriology & Virology), Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Viral Immunology
|November 6, 2024
Summary
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) levels did not differ significantly in patients with Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) compared to controls. This suggests other factors contribute to HAM/TSP pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Virology
- Genetics
Background:
- Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a chronic inflammatory neurological disease.
- Viral-host interactions and host genetics are key factors in HAM/TSP development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure serum TWEAK levels in HAM/TSP patients, asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (ACs), and healthy controls (HCs).
- To assess proviral load in HAM/TSP patients and ACs.
- To investigate the correlation between TWEAK levels and proviral load in HAM/TSP and ACs.
Main Methods:
- Serum TWEAK levels were measured using ELISA.
- Proviral load was quantified by real-time PCR.
- Statistical analyses were performed to compare groups.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in TWEAK levels was observed among HAM/TSP patients, ACs, and HCs (p = 0.667).
- Proviral load did not significantly differ between HAM/TSP patients and ACs (p = 0.08).
- No significant correlation was found between proviral load and TWEAK concentration in HAM/TSP patients and ACs.
Conclusions:
- Despite the inflammatory nature of HAM/TSP, TWEAK expression levels are not significantly altered compared to asymptomatic carriers and healthy controls.
- These findings indicate that factors beyond TWEAK likely contribute to the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP.
- Further research is warranted to explore other contributing factors in HAM/TSP development.
