Research contributing to the diagnosis of inflammatory pathology prior to the onset of HAM with the aim of suppressing the onset of the disease through ultra-early treatment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K07418
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUURA EIJI 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 客員研究員 (30598800)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高嶋 博 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 教授 (80372803)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: HTLV-1 / HAM/TSP / epidemiology / cytotoxic T lymphocytes / muscle / T cell clone

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We clarified the infection rate by each generation in each decade from 1920 to the 2000s in Kagoshima Prefecture, and finally reported in the paper that there are 80,000 infected people in the prefecture. We also confirmed virus-specific inflammation within the spinal cord of virus carriers who had not developed HAM (paper in preparation for submission). By analyzing 101 patients, we identified the most affected muscles both in the early and advanced stages of the disease and reported this feature as a diagnostic marker for HAM. We also reported a case of HAM complicated with muscle disease that resembles these characteristics. Genetically, we identified the genetic features of HAM in East Asia. In addition, we identified and characterized T-cell clones that are strongly associated with the development of HAM.

Free Research Field

神経免疫

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究結果により疫学的に今後大規模疫学調査を行わなくても毎年簡便にキャリア数を推計できるようになった。今回判明したHAM早期診断を可能とするHAMの神経学的特徴と、HAM診断基準を満たす以前の患者の脊髄内のHTLV-1特異的炎症の存在を確認できたことで、臨床症状やバイオマーカーにより超早期診断が可能であることを示すものである。この超早期診断によりHAM診断基準を満たす前の患者（pre-HAM)に早期治療介入できる可能性が明らかとなった。