[Interstitial pneumonia in patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 infection].
Pulmonary involvement has been demonstrated in patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP) or with HTLV-1 uveitis. Pulmonary lesions in these patients are characterized by T-lymphocyte alveolitis. Interestingly, HLTV-1-infected cells were markedly increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from patients with HAM/TSP and those with HTLV-1 uveitis compared to asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. Furthermore, the proportion of HTLV-1-infected cells was much higher in BALF than in peripheral blood. These results suggest that increased HTLV-1-infected cells play an important role in evolution of T-lymphocyte alveolitis associated with HTLV-1 infection.
Sugimoto
M
M
Department of Medicine, Kumamoto City Hospital, Japan.
D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000209:etiology*; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000150:complications; D014605:Uveitis / Q000150:complications