HAM研究の最近の進歩

Recent advances on the research of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.

I．はじめに

　ヒト・レトロウイルスの一つであるHTLV-I（human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I）の関与した新しい脊髄疾患HAM（HTLV-I-associated myelopathy）の発見とその概説に関しては，これまでいくつかの総説でレビューした^1～4）。ここでは，その後のHAM研究の最近の進歩の中で，とくにいくつかのテーマをしぼってまとめた。

Seventy five papers^1~75) were reviewed regarding the recent advances on the research of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP). Approximately 1, 150 patients of HAM/TSP have been reported in the world. These include 710 patients in Japan, one patient in South Korea, one patient in Taiwan, one patient in Solomon Islands, two patients in India, 22 patients in USA, one patient in Canada, approximately 100 patients in Jamaica, 38 patients in Martinique, 8 patients in Trinidad, 6 patients in Guadeloupe, one patient in Barbados, one patient in Dominican Rep., one patient in St. Lucia, approximately 100 patients in Colombia, approximately 15 patients in Peru, 33 patients in Chile, 5 patients in Brazil, 4 patients in Paraguay, 4 patients in French Cuiana, 21 patients in England, one patient in France one patient in Italy, 17 patients in Seychelles, 25 patients in Zaire, 24 patients in south Africa, two patients in Ivory Coast, and two patients in Ethiopia.