Triple Therapy with Prednisolone, Pegylated Interferon and Sodium Valproate Improves Clinical Outcome and Reduces Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) Proviral Load, Tax and HBZ mRNA Expression in Patients with HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis.

Considering that there is no effective treatment for human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, this study aimed to assess the impact of triple combination therapy-interferon-α, valproic acid, and prednisolone-on clinical outcomes, main HTLV-1 viral factors, and host anti-HTLV-1 antibody response. HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL), and HBZ and Tax mRNA expression levels were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 13 patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis before and after treatment with 180 μg pegylated interferon once a week, 10-20 mg/kg/day sodium valproate, and 5 mg/day prednisolone for 25 weeks using a TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Furthermore, anti-HTLV-1 titer, Osame Motor Disability Score, Ashworth spasticity scale, and urinary symptoms (through standard questionnaire and clinical monitoring) were assessed in patients before and after the treatment.

The impact of interferon-alpha treatment on clinical and immunovirological aspects of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy in northeast of Iran.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a chronic inflammatory myelopathy. The pathophysiology of HAM/TSP is not yet fully understood; therefore, effective therapy remains a challenging issue. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) in HAM/TSP patients in the Northeast of Iran.

Excessive incidence of stroke in Iran: evidence from the Mashhad Stroke Incidence Study (MSIS), a population-based study of stroke in the Middle East.

Background And Purpose: The epidemiology of stroke and its subtypes in the Middle East is unclear. Most previous studies have been performed in Western countries, and incidence rates are unlikely to apply in the Middle East. We aimed to determine the incidence of stroke in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.