[Retrovirus, mycotoxins, immunosuppression and neurodegeneration].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the pros and cons of the etiopathogenic aspects of the different clinical entities that, over the years, have been found to be associated with the so called human retroviruses in order to propose possible etiological alternatives.


METHODS
Since research on retroviruses began there has been a tendency to blame these elements for a number of clinical entities, the most important of which include Aids, tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), fungoid mycosis, Sjogren's syndrome and T cell leukaemia. Yet many patients and scientific publications point out the existence of a large number of clinical and laboratory inconsistencies, which suggests that the so called cofactors associated with all these entities are far more likely to be the real generators of these public health problems. Among these, we pay special attention to environmental toxins, of which a prototypical example is the group of neuromycotoxins. There are several ways these can enter the organism of an individual exposed to them (through food, breathing and intravenously) or, worse still, they can be generated endogenously in immunosuppressed individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
The possibility of some cofactors being the real causes behind a large number of entities considered to be Aids, TSP, Sjogren s syndrome, fungoid mycosis or T cell leukaemia, among others, regardless of their retroviral serological state, is becoming more and more likely and scientifically plausible. All these facts should be researched in much greater depth to determine their real dimensions, which would therefore enable us to face the future with better means of prevention, diagnosis and treatment at our disposal.
León-Sarmiento
F E
FE
Unidad de Neurología y Neurociencias Aplicadas, Departamento de Medicina Interna y Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Salud, UIS-Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia. leonf@ninds.nih.gov
Carpintero de Jimeno
M
M
D015658:HIV Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000821:virology; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000821:virology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000821:virology; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000821:virology; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000821:virology