Relation between human T-lymphotropic virus type I and neurologic diseases in Panama: 1985-1990.
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is endemic in the Caribbean basin and in Japan. HTLV-II, a closely related virus, is endemic in several groups of native Americans, including Panamanian Guaymi. In Panama, a nationwide HTLV-I/II seroprevalence of 1-2% has been reported. We evaluated the frequency of HTLV-I/II infection in patients with neurologic diseases admitted to state tertiary hospitals in Panama City between 1985 and 1990. Nineteen of 322 patients with eligible diagnoses had antibodies to HTLV-I/II, 17 with HTLV-I and 2 with HTLV-II. HTLV-I was associated with spastic paraparesis (13 of 23, 56.5% versus 4 of 299, 1.3%, p < 0.001) and with cerebellar syndrome (2 of 13, 15.4%) and multiple sclerosis (2 of 54, 3.7%) (p < 0.05 for both diseases compared with subject with none of these diagnoses). The two HTLV-I infected patients with cerebellar syndrome later developed spastic paraparesis. HTLV-II infection was noted in one patient with cerebellar syndrome and one with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. All patients with other diagnoses were seronegative. Among patients with spastic paraparesis, HTLV-I-infected patients were clinically indistinguishable from seronegative subjects. There is apparently an overlapping clinical spectrum of neurologic diseases associated with HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection.
Gracia
F
F
Laboratorio Conmemorativo Gorgas, Panama City, Panama.
Castillo
L C
LC
Larreategui
M
M
Roberts
B
B
Cedeño
V
V
Heneine
W
W
Blattner
W
W
Kaplan
J E
JE
Levine
P H
PH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D013577:Syndrome
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies