Document 3181
 DOCN  M94A3181
 TI    Tropical spastic paraparesis and HTLV-I infection on the Caribbean Coast
       of Colombia.
 DT    9412
 AU    Pareja J; Daza J; Boshell J; Rojas MC; Gonzalez M; Marrugo S; Mc
       Allister; Navas MC; Jeannel D; Universidad de Cartagena.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):134 (abstract no. PA0154). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94369394
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence of clinical cases of Tropical Spastic
       Paraparesis/Human Associated Myelopathy (TSP/HAM) and serological
       evidence of HTLV-I infection on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia with a
       population of african ancestry. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical
       records of all patients with chronic neurological disorders at the
       University Hospital of Cartagena during the las 10 years. We also tested
       365 serum samples from the serum bank of the Colombian National
       Institute of Healt for the presence of HTLV-I antibodies by ELISA and
       Western Blot (WB). The samples selected had been collected for dengue
       surveillance on the caribbean coast of the country. RESULTS: In the UCH
       7 cases of clinical TSP/HAM were recognised in a 10 year period, 3
       females and 4 males aged 28 to 61 years. No HTLV-I serology has been
       performed but these patients are at present being studied to confirm the
       diagnosis. Of the 365 sera assayd for HTLV-I antibodies, two were found
       positive by ELISA and WB. DISCUSSION: These results indicate that
       TSP/HAM is not as frequient in population of the Caribbean Coast of
       Colombia as reported on the Colombian Pacific Coast, both inhibited by
       black people or mestizos. In addition, we demonstrated the presence of
       HTLV-I on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia.
 DE    Adult  Africa/ETHNOLOGY  Blotting, Western  Colombia/EPIDEMIOLOGY
       Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay  Female  Human  HTLV-I
       Antibodies/*BLOOD  HTLV-I Infections/DIAGNOSIS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY  Male
       Medical Records  Middle Age  Paraparesis, Tropical
       Spastic/DIAGNOSIS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY  Prevalence  Retrospective Studies
       MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).