Use of Oral Corticosteroids to Treat HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy (HAM) in São Paulo, Brazil

Background: During the development of human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy (HAM), the inflammatory phenomenon is very prominent and is a major factor in the outcome of the disease. The use of corticosteroids can modify their natural history, and in this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of using daily low-dose prednisone. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data collected by physicians monitoring patients with HAM at the Institute of Infectious Diseases “Emilio Ribas”, the main referral center for patients with infectious diseases in São Paulo, Brazil. The objective was to determine if daily low-dose oral prednisone would be able to stabilize the progression of HAM. The outcome measure was a change in the Osame Motor Disability Score (OMDS). Results: Fifty-four patients used treatment with oral prednisone, 5 milligrams daily. Nine cases were excluded from the study because they did not have at least two rating scales within a minimum interval of one year, and six were excluded for being co-infected with HIV and/or HCV. Thirty-nine patients met this criterion and were included for analysis. The majority were women (71.8%), the mean age was 56.51 years old (SD ± 9.74), and the median time of use of prednisone was 16 months. Thirty-two patients (82.05%) maintained the same OMDS, 5/39 (12.82%) had clinical worsening, and 2/39 (5.13%) improved. Conclusions: There was a trend toward clinical stability with the use of oral corticosteroids. However, randomized controlled trials are necessary to evaluate the use in clinical practices in all stages of HAM.