MS or TSP

[Guest guest]

Hi group, this is posted in reference to a question regarding MS in

cooler climates vs warmer. The Dr. (nuero) who finally convinced me

to accept my MS diagonosis ask me if I ever lived in the Carribeen. I

ask him why? He said that there is another neurological disease which

is more prevelant to persons in the warmer climents which has

essentially the same symptims. It is called TSP (Tropical Spastic

Paraparesis). As I had once owned and lived on a part of an island

off the Atlantic coast of Honduras, I was very interested. There is

quite a bit on the internet about TSP but like MS, they have not

found a cure. Russ

Tropical spastic paraparesis

Definition

Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) is an incurable viral infection of

the spinal cord that causes weakness in the legs. It is caused by the

human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1) retrovirus.

Description

As the name implies, tropical spastic paraparesis usually occurs in

tropical locales. Although isolated cases have been diagnosed in the

southeastern United States and other places in the United States, TSP

is most frequently found in:

the Caribbean

Japan

the Seychelles Islands

regions of South America

western Africa.

TSP usually affects adults between the ages of 30 and 40, and is far

more common in women than in men.

The disease may remain undetected for years after infection is

contracted. When the immune system's response to the virus causes

nerve damage, the legs gradually lose strength and flexibility.

Causes and symptoms

TSP is caused by the HTLV-1 virus, which also causes leukemia. The

virus can be spread through the placenta, and also through blood

transfusions, breastfeeding, contaminated needles, and sexual contact.

Symptoms may begin years after infection. In response to the

infection, the body's immune response may injure nerve tissue,

causing symptoms that include bladder abnormalities, leg pain, loss

of feeling in the feet, tingling sensations, and unpleasant

sensations when the skin is touched.

As many as 20% of patients with TSP may also experience:

deafness

double vision

the tendency to incorrectly estimate the amount of motion necessary

to accomplish a specific task (dysmetria)

exaggerated reflexes

facial paralysis

tremor.

Diagnosis

Infectious disease specialists use blood tests and magnetic resonance

imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord to diagnose this condition.

Treatment

While the disease is incurable, significant improvement has been

reported in the condition of TSP patients treated with

corticosteroids. These drugs are believed to alleviate symptoms by

suppressing the immune system's response to the virus that causes

them.

Plasmapheresis, a dialysis-like procedure in which symptom-producing

antibodies are removed from the blood, also provides temporary relief.

Prognosis

As noted, TSP cannot be cured.

Prevention

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved

screening procedures developed to detect HTLV-1 in donated blood and

blood products designated for transfusion. These procedures, which

can also be used to diagnose patients with TSP, are designed to

prevent the spread of the disease.

Key Terms

Retrovirus

A family of RNA viruses containing a reverse transcriptase enzyme

which allows the viruses' genetic information to become part of the

genetic information of the host cell upon replication.

Virus

A microorganism, smaller than bacteria, which can only replicate

within the a cell of a living plant or animal. The virus provides the

genetic code and the host cell provides the energy and raw materials

for replication.

For Your Information

Books

on's Principles of Internal Medicine. Ed. S. Fauci, et

al. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

Other

" Current Trends Licensure of Screening Tests for Antibody to Human T-

Lymphotropic Virus Type I. " Centers for Disease Control. 27 May 1998

Source: Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, Published December, 2002 by

the Gale Group

The Essay