Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), is a medical condition that causes weakness,

muscle spasms A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ such as the bladder. A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a muscle c ...

, and sensory disturbance by

human T-lymphotropic virus The human T-lymphotropic virus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus, or human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus (HTLV) family of viruses are a group of human retroviruses that are known to cause a type of cancer called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and ...

resulting in

paraparesis Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...

, weakness of the legs. As the name suggests, it is most common in

tropical regions The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred t ...

, including the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but mo ...

products are screened for

human T-lymphotropic virus 1 Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 or human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I), also called the adult T-cell lymphoma virus type 1, is a retrovirus of the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) family that has been implicated in several kinds of disea ...

(HTLV-1) antibodies, as a preventive measure.

Signs and symptoms

Some of the signs of Tropical spastic paraparesis are: Polymyositis HE

:::::::*Leg instability :::::::*Urinary dysfunction. :::::::*Bowel dysfunction :::::::*Back pain :::::::*Erectile problems :::::::*Psoriasis Individuals with TSP may also exhibit

uveitis Uveitis () is inflammation of the uvea, the pigmented layer of the eye between the inner retina and the outer fibrous layer composed of the sclera and cornea. The uvea consists of the middle layer of pigmented vascular structures of the eye and ...

(inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye),

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

(inflammation of one or more joints), pulmonary lymphocytic alveolitis (inflammation of the lung tissues),

polymyositis Polymyositis (PM) is a type of chronic inflammation of the muscles (inflammatory myopathy) related to dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. Its name means "inflammation of many muscles" ('' poly-'' + '' myos-'' + ''-itis''). The inflammati ...

(an inflammatory muscle disease),

keratoconjunctivitis sicca Dry eye syndrome (DES), also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), is the condition of having dry eyes. Other associated symptoms include irritation, redness, discharge, and easily fatigued eyes. Blurred vision may also occur. Symptoms range ...

(persistent dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva), and infectious dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). HTLV-1 can be transmitted via breastfeeding (mother to child), sexual contact, via blood contact (transfusion or

needle sharing Needle sharing is the practice of intravenous drug-users by which a needle or syringe is shared by multiple individuals to administer intravenous drugs such as heroin, steroids, and hormones. This is a primary vector for blood-borne diseases which ...

Pathogenesis

In Tropical spastic paraparesis, HTLV-1 shows elevated cellular acquired immune response as well as high production of proinflammatory cytokines. IFN overexpression has been demonstrated as well. Also the number of NK cells (CD56+ and CD16+) is diminished.

Diagnosis

Among the methods of diagnosing tropical spastic paraparesis are

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...

(magnetic resonance imaging) and

lumbar puncture Lumbar puncture (LP), also known as a spinal tap, is a medical procedure in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canal, most commonly to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for diagnostic testing. The main reason for a lumbar puncture is to ...

(which may show lymphocytosis).

Treatment

Treatment of TSP involves corticosteroids to help with inflammation. Though any success with corticosteroids is short-lived, with symptoms worsened as the dosage is reduced. A synthetic derivative, 17-alpha-ethinyltestosterone, can be used to treat Tropical spastic paraparesis, improvement in motor and bladder function was reported but not sustainable. Mogamulizumab, an anti-CCR4

IgG1 Immunoglobulin G (Ig G) is a type of antibody. Representing approximately 75% of serum antibodies in humans, IgG is the most common type of antibody found in blood circulation. IgG molecules are created and released by plasma B cells. Each IgG a ...

monoclonal antibody, is also being researched as a possible treatment for Tropical spastic paraparesis. The antibody reduces HTLV-1 proviral load and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Valproic acid has also succeeded in reducing the proviral load of HTLV-1 (though clinical benefits were minimal or none). A further combination of valproic acid and zidovudine has demonstrated a decrease in proviral loads (in animals).

Prognosis

The prognosis for Tropical spastic paraparesis indicates some improvement in a percentage of cases due to immunosuppressive treatment. A higher percentage will eventually lose the ability to walk within a ten-year interval.

History

For several decades, the term ''tropical spastic paraparesis'' was used to describe a chronic and progressive clinical syndrome that affected adults living in equatorial areas of the world. This condition was initially thought to be associated with infectious agents (such as ''

Treponema pertenue Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones, and joints caused by the spirochete bacterium ''Treponema pallidum pertenue''. The disease begins with a round, hard swelling of the skin, in diameter. The center may break open and form an ulce ...

'' and ''

Treponema pallidum ''Treponema pallidum'', formerly known as ''Spirochaeta pallida'', is a spirochaete bacterium with various subspecies that cause the diseases syphilis, bejel (also known as endemic syphilis), and yaws. It is transmitted only among humans. It is ...

'', which cause inflammation of the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all par ...

) and with chronic nutritional deficiencies (such as

avitaminosis Vitamin deficiency is the condition of a long-term lack of a vitamin. When caused by not enough vitamin intake it is classified as a ''primary deficiency'', whereas when due to an underlying disorder such as malabsorption it is called a ''seconda ...

) or exposure to potentially toxic foods (such as bitter

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

Tropical myeloneuropathies Tropical neuropathy is a class of illnesses with similar signs and symptoms, including konzo, tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), and tropical ataxic neuropathy Tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN, also known as Strachan-Scott Syndrome and prisoners ...

are classified as two separate syndromes:

tropical ataxic neuropathy Tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN, also known as Strachan-Scott Syndrome and prisoners of war neuropathy) is a disease or category of diseases that commonly causes disability and increases mortality. The causes of TAN are not understood; there is no ...

(TAN) and tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP). They are placed together because they are found in tropical countries, although tropical spastic paraparesis has occurred in temperate countries (e.g., Japan).

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tropical Spastic Paraparesis Viral diseases