The impact of pregnancy and childbirth on the disease
Although there are no study regarding patients with HAM/TSP in pregnant women have been reported, there is a potential for pregnancy to impact HAM/TSP. High HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) levels have been evaluated as important predictors of development of ATL{Rebecca J. Baer, 2021 #26;Iwanaga M, 2010 #23}7), HTLV-1 PVL levels plateau during pregnancy and increase after delivery8). In this case, we could not evaluate her HTLV-1 PVL levels. It is unclear that whether postpartum HTLV-1 PVL levels elevation is transient or persistent at this moment. She had three consecutive courses of pregnancy and childbirth within four years, but it is unclear if it would be a problem to get pregnant soon after giving birth.