Document 0020 DOCN M9620020 TI Study of HTLV-I antibodies in CSF and serum of neurolathyrism patients in Bangladesh. DT 9602 AU Haque A; Khan JK; Wouters G; Hossain M; Lambein F; Department of Neurology, Institute for Postgraduate Medicine and; Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh. SO Ann Soc Belg Med Trop. 1995 Jun;75(2):131-4. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96066538 AB Neurolathyrism is a form of human spastic paraparesis related to the overconsumption of the legume Lathyrus sativus or grass pea (Khesari in Bangladesh) containing the neurotoxin 3-N-oxalyl-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (beta-ODAP). The clinical symptoms of neurolathyrism are similar to those of Tropical Spastic Paraparesis. In order to eliminate the proposed causative agent of TSP (HTLV-I) as a potential cause of the symptoms ascribed to neurolathyrism, a total of 444 diagnosed lathyrism patients were screened for HTLV-I antibodies. 50 CSF and 394 serum samples were collected from male (415) and female (29) patients. Only 4 serum samples were found sero-positive for HTLV-I. This agrees with the assumption that overconsumption of beta-ODAP containing Lathyrus seeds, and not HTLV infection, is the causative agent for neurolathyrism. DE Adult Bangladesh/EPIDEMIOLOGY Female Human HTLV-I Antibodies/*ANALYSIS/CEREBROSPINAL FLUID Lathyrism/CEREBROSPINAL FLUID/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*IMMUNOLOGY Male Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic/IMMUNOLOGY Sampling Studies Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLE SOURCE: National Library of Medicine. NOTICE: This material may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).