Table 1.
Neurologic symptoms with quantitative HTLV-1 viral load (PCR) and quantitative spasticity assessment (QSA)
| Viral load (copies/100 PBMCs) |
QSA (N-m/r) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Patients with HAM/TSP | Mean (SD) | Median (IQR) | P value* | Mean (SD) | Median (IQR) | P value* |
| All subjects | 24 | 21.8 (15.8) | 17.0 (23.0) | 68.1 (63.2) | 39.9 (81.8) | ||
| Gender | |||||||
| Female | 18 | 24.0 (16.5) | 18.4 (23.7) | 53.0 (46.5) | 33.5 (40.1) | ||
| Male | 6 | 15.1 (12.4) | 12.0 (19.6) | .21 | 113.1 (88.4) | 101.8 (175.2) | .15 |
| Symptoms | |||||||
| Leg pain | |||||||
| Present | 14 | 22.0 (13.6) | 20.0 (23.0) | 68.3 (68.4) | 38.7 (76.2) | ||
| Absent | 9 | 18.9 (18.4) | 14.4 (14.3) | .39 | 59.60 (56.21) | 35.2 (68.2) | .95 |
| Back pain | |||||||
| Present | 16 | 23.2 (17.4) | 17.0 (25.2) | 62.2 (58.7) | 45.2 (68.9) | ||
| Absent | 8 | 18.9 (12.6) | 17.9 (19.5) | .72 | 79.7 (74.3) | 31.0 (141.1) | .86 |
| Arm pain | |||||||
| Present | 4 | 26.3 (16.4) | 24.1 (30.2) | 118.8 (89.6) | 105.4 (170.9) | ||
| Absent | 19 | 21.6 (16.0) | 17.4 (19.8) | .58 | 60.2 (54.5) | 35.2 (72.7) | .15 |
| Joint pain | |||||||
| Present | 14 | 26.2 (16.4) | 21.1 (23.5) | 57.6 (57.8) | 39.9 (40.1) | ||
| Absent | 10 | 15.6 (13.2) | 12.5 (17.6) | .07 | 82.7 (70.6) | 50.3 (126.5) | .78 |
| Arm sensation | |||||||
| Abnormal | 13 | 28.5 (17.8) | 29.4 (29.8) | 73.8 (72.5) | 44.7 (102.5) | ||
| Normal | 11 | 13.8 (8.0) | 14.4 (11.0) | .06 | 61.2 (52.9) | 35.2 (69.4) | .89 |
| Leg sensation | |||||||
| Abnormal | 17 | 26.0 (16.4) | 22.8 (25.2) | 73.0 (64.6) | 45.8 (94.6) | ||
| Normal | 7 | 11.4 (7.8) | 12.7 (13.9) | .05 | 56.1 (63.0) | 30.3 (55.3) | .42 |
| Bladder dysfunction | |||||||
| Present | 21 | 24.4 (15.1) | 19.3 (22.4) | 74.9 (64.8) | 45.8 (93.0) | ||
| Absent | 3 | 3.5 (3.5) | 3.5 (—) | .003 | 19.6 (9.3) | 14.5 (—) | .02 |
| Bowel dysfunction | |||||||
| Present | 18 | 25.1 (15.7) | 21.0 (23.6) | 79.6 (66.6) | 47.7 (104.0) | ||
| Absent | 6 | 11.8 (12.1) | 9.2 (16.7) | .03 | 33.4 (37.3) | 16.6 (35.5) | .01 |
| Signs | |||||||
| Mental status | |||||||
| Abnormal | 9 | 29.3 (14.8) | 34.2 (28.9) | 92.0 (77.2) | 49.6 (132.2) | ||
| Normal | 15 | 17.3 (15.0) | 14.4 (14.3) | .04 | 53.6 (50.7) | 31.9 (52.0) | .40 |
| Cranial Nerves | |||||||
| Abnormal | 1 | 8.3 | — | 133.3 | — | ||
| Normal | 22 | 22.4 (16.3) | 18.4 (25.0) | .53 | 71.3 (65.2) | 45.2 (92.4) | .53 |
| Strength | |||||||
| Abnormal | 17 | 24.6 (16.3) | 19.3 (23.1) | 74.8 (64.1) | 49.6 (93.0) | ||
| Normal | 6 | 15.7 (13.8) | 14.9 (23.9) | .30 | 52.7 (68.6) | 26.5 (54.6) | .27 |
| Reflexes | |||||||
| Abnormal | 20 | 23.3 (15.9) | 17.0 (23.7) | 73.1 (66.9) | 45.2 (103.7) | ||
| Normal | 4 | 14.0 (14.4) | 13.2 (26.8) | .33 | 42.9 (35.8) | 31.0 (60.9) | .41 |
| Coordination | |||||||
| Abnormal | 2 | 25.3 (18.5) | 25.3 (—) | 25.8 (6.0) | 25.8 (—) | ||
| Normal | 21 | 21.7 (16.3) | 17.4 (22.4) | .67 | 73.6 (65.8) | 45.8 (96.7) | .24 |
| Gait | |||||||
| Abnormal | 21 | 23.6 (15.6) | 17.4 (23.1) | 71.1 (65.9) | 44.7 (96.7) | ||
| Normal | 3 | 8.8 (8.8) | 3.5 (—) | .11 | 46.7 (42.8) | 30.3 (—) | .47 |
Note. HAM/TSP = HTLV-1–associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis; PBMCs = peripheral blood mononuclear cells; N-m/r = Newton-meters/radian; SD = standard deviation; IQR = interquartile range.
*
P values based on Mann-Whitney U test.