Clinical Trial: Use of Pentoxifylline in Human T-lymphotropic Virus Type-1 (HTLV-1) Diseases

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Effectiveness of Pentoxifylline in Attenuating Neurological Disease Associated With HTLV-1 and Negative Modulator of Pathological Immune Response.

Brief Summary: In this study the investigators are going to evaluate the efficacy pentoxifyline in HTLV-1 patients with neurological diseases: HAM/TSP or neurogenic bladder. In some laboratory experiments the investigators observed that this drug had the capacity to reduce the immune response in HTLV-1 infected cells. Since the exacerbated immune response is know to cause neurological disease in patients with HTLV-1 the investigators hope that pentoxifyline can alleviate symptoms and delay the progress of HAM/TSP in patients.

Detailed Summary: The human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects 20 million individuals worldwide and is the causative agent of HTLV associated myelopathy/ tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Although only 5% of HTLV-infected individuals will develop HAM/TSP, the investigatorts have observed that about 30% have neurological complaints and/or neurogenic bladder associated with HTLV-1. The immunopathogenesis of those diseases is related to the exaggerated immune response with high production of cytokines and induced neurological injury. So far there is not any effective drug against HTLV-1 and modulation of the immune response can help to alleviate the clinical manifestations of those patients and prevent the progression of symptoms. The preliminary data show that pentoxifylline has ability to decrease production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in patients with HTLV-1 infection and patients with HAM/TSP. The proposal entitled "Evaluation of the efficacy of pentoxifylline in attenuating the neurological disease associated with HTLV-1 and negatively modulate the immune pathological response" extends the previous studies in order to determine the ability of pentoxifylline in modulate the immune response and modify the course of the clinical manifestations in patients infected with HTLV-1. The influence on the immune response in the expression of disease will be determined in a therapeutic trial with two groups of patients: 1) patients with neurogenic bladder associated with HTLV-1, 2) patients with HAM/TSP. Primary end point is clinical and neurological exam and secondary end point are measure of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1 and IL-6) and chemokines that attract T cells to sites of inflammation (CXCL9 and CXCL10).
Sponsor: Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos

Current Primary Outcome: Functional neurological capacity [ Time Frame: 60 days ]

Measure of functional neurological capacity with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), OSAME Motor Disability Score and Ambulatorial index


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Reduce in cytokines and chemokines [ Time Frame: 60 days ]

Measure of reduce in inflammatory cytokines (TNF alpha, IFN gamma, IL10 and IL5) and chemokines (CXCL9 and CXCL10)


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos

Dates:
Date Received: November 11, 2011
Date Started: September 2009
Date Completion:
Last Updated: March 17, 2015
Last Verified: March 2015