HTLV-I seroprevalence in patients with undefined uveitis in central Japan.
Recently, human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) has been shown to cause endogenous uveitis, HTLV-I associated uveitis. To investigate the association of hereditary or environmental factors with the incidence of this uveitis, HTLV-I seroprevalence was studied in patients with undefined uveitis in central Japan, where HTLV-I infection has not been considered highly endemic. Of 129 patients with undefined uveitis, 6 (4.6%) were seropositive, and 4 of these 6 seropositive cases with undefined uveitis were born in southwestern Japan, where HTLV-I infection is highly endemic. As regards the incidence rate of uveitis, 4 of 9 (44.4%) seropositive cases from southwestern Japan developed uveitis, whereas only 2 of 21 (9.5%) seropositive cases from central Japan developed uveitis. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). This results suggests that the incidence of HTLV-I associated uveitis could be influenced by environmental or hereditary factors including HLA.
Division of Ophthalmology, Odawara Municipal Hospital, Japan.
K
K
Goto
K
K
Saeki
M
M
Kurita
Y
Y
Iijima
A
A
Miyake
S
S
Ohno
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies