HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy and Regulatory T-cells: the Turn of the Screw

HTLV-1 is the causative agent of a subacute myelopathytermed tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy(TSP/HAM). The majority of HTLV-1-infected persons donot manifest any clinical symptoms throughout their lives, andonly a minority (5%) develops TSP/HAM after a long-termasymptomatic period. Two main non-excluding hypotheseshave been postulated for the pathogenesis of TSP/HAM andboth of them imply immunomediated phenomena. The first onesuggests that molecular mimicry could be involved.