title: A human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) carrier complicated with various autoimmune diseases including primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: A 47-year-old woman with primary biliary cirrhosis and scleroderma was examined at our hospital for a 1-week history of non-resolving fever, arthralgia, myalgia, muscle weakness and fatigue. A diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus was made based on arthralgia, low leukocyte count, low lymphocyte count, low serum concentration of complements, positive anti-nuclear antibody and positive anti-double-strand-DNA antibody. She was negative for anti-U1RNP antibody, but positive for anti-Jo1 antibody, and her initial serum concentration of creatine phosphokinase was elevated. We diagnosed her as having overlap syndrome with scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus and possible polymyositis associated with primary biliary cirrhosis. Prednisolone rapidly improved her symptoms. Lobulated leukocytes were observed in her peripheral blood specimen. She was positive for anti-HTLV-1 antibody, but Southern blot hybridization did not confirm monoclonal integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA in her peripheral blood. This suggests the possibility of a relationship between HTLV-1 infection and various autoimmune disorders including primary biliary cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-Machi, Kurume 830-0011, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumemura
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Chikatoshi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yanagimoto
authors.forename: Riko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata