Infective dermatitis of Jamaican children: a marker for HTLV-I infection.
In Jamaican children infective dermatitis is a chronic eczema associated with refractory nonvirulent Staphylococcus aureus or beta-haemolytic streptococcus infection of the skin and nasal vestibule. 14 children between the ages of 2 and 17 years with typical infective dermatitis, attending the dermatology clinic at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Jamaica, were tested for antibody to human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). All were seropositive, whereas 11 children of similar age with atopic eczema were all negative. In 2 of 2 cases of infective dermatitis, the biological mother was HTLV-1 seropositive. None of the 14 patients showed signs of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma, though experience with previous cases of infective dermatitis indicates the possibility of such progression.
LaGrenade
L
L
Department of Medicine, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Hanchard
B
B
Fletcher
V
V
Cranston
B
B
Blattner
W
W
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000209:etiology*
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies