Skip to main content
Figure 4 | Retrovirology

Figure 4

From: In vivo expression of the HBZ gene of HTLV-1 correlates with proviral load, inflammatory markers and disease severity in HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP)

Figure 4

HBZ mRNA load and HBZ mRNA/DNA ratio in PBMCs were decreased in HAM/TSP patients after effective IFN-α treatment. To investigate whether HTLV-1 mRNA load and mRNA/DNA ratio are associated with clinical improvement, we measured the HBZ mRNA/DNA ratio in four HAM/TSP patients who received 4 weeks of daily IFN-α administration (three million international units of IFN-α per one intramuscular injection). Two HAM/TSP patients with clinical improvement in Osame Motor Disability Score (OMDS) (HAM1 and 2) showed decreased HBZ mRNA load and HBZ mRNA/DNA ratio during the IFN-α treatment, whereas two HAM/TSP patients without clinical improvement in OMDS (HAM3 and 4) showed stable HBZ mRNA load and HBZ mRNA/DNA ratio during the IFN-α treatment. In contrast, the tax mRNA load and tax mRNA/DNA ratio did not show such a clear correlation with clinical improvement.

Back to article page

Retrovirology

ISSN: 1742-4690

Contact us