Regulatory T Cells as a Biomarker of Post-Polio Syndrome

continued, page 3 There are large numbers of polio survivors today who contracted acute paralytic poliomyelitis prior to the advent of widespread vaccination programs against poliovirus (PV). What is underappreciated is the fact that polio survivors are many years later at risk of developing new neurological deterioration, a condition recognized in the late ’80s as post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS). PPS is a slowly progressive disease in individuals previously affected by paralytic poliomyelitis that is characterized primarily by new muscle weakness and atrophy. Diagnosis of PPS is time-consuming and complicated by the need to rule out other diseases that could explain the new symptoms. The ability of a physician to diagnose a specific disease can be significantly aided by the availability of one or several disease biological markers (termed biomarkers). No biomarker(s) has (have) been identified for PPS as yet that could assist in providing a definitive, easy and rapid diagnosis.