Prevalence of HTLV-I in leprosy patients in two sanatoriums in Japan.
To determine the association between leprosy and HTLV-I, 450 and 394 leprosy patients in two sanatoriums in Japan (Sanatorium-A in Okayama prefecture and Sanatorium-B in Gunma prefecture) were investigated serologically for antibodies to HTLV-I. Serology was positive for HTLV-I in 38 (8.4%) of 450 leprosy patients in Sanatorium-A and in 34 (8.6%) of 394 patients in Sanatorium-B. Prevalence was much higher than that in the general population of these areas in Japan. A large proportion of HTLV-I-positive patients in both sanatoriums came from HTLV-I nonendemic areas in Japan, suggesting that HTLV-I infection occurred after the patients arrived at the sanatoriums. Infection through sexual contact or reuse of needles for frequent vaccination are possible routes of infection for HTLV-I in these cases.
Muneishi
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
Taguchi
H
H
Sawada
T
T
Ikezoe
T
T
Matsui
S
S
Tanaka
S
S
Taniguchi
T
T
Onoue
O
O
Miyoshi
I
I
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018454:Spouses
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies