FIGURE 1.

Effects of steroid therapy on Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers. Left: Comparison of pre-treatment levels of the following five CSF markers with those approximately 2 weeks after steroid therapy (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 2.5 ± 0.9 weeks from the first day of pulse therapy): C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), neopterin, total protein, anti-HTLV-1 antibody (Ab) titer, and cell count. Post-treatment CSF markers were not available for one or two patients among the 13 patients who received methylprednisolone pulse therapy (n = 12: CXCL10, neopterin, and anti-HTLV-1 antibody titer; n = 11: total protein and cell count). Right: Comparison of the same five CSF markers between two time points (mean ± SD: 16.4 ± 5.7 months) in five patients who did not receive any steroid treatment and interferon alpha treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Ab, antibody.