title: Hypergammaglobulinemia and corneal opacities in patients with human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between serum immunoglobulin levels and corneal opacities in a cohort of patients with human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Complete ophthalmologic examination was performed on 44 patients with HTLV-1 infection (25 patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma [ATL], 18 patients with HTLV-1 that was associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis [HAM/TSP], and one patient who was asymptomatic). Corneal opacities were described by shape, size, color, and location. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels (IgG, IgM, and IgA) were measured by nephelometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corneal opacities were identified in 15 of 25 patients (60%) with ATL and five of 18 patients (28%) with HAM/TSP. The prevalence of corneal opacities was associated statistically with elevated IgG level (P = .023) in patients with ATL, but not in patients with HAM/TSP (P > .99).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the mechanism remains unclear, hypergammaglobulinemia is associated with the development of the corneal opacities in patients of African descent with ATL.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Marena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patronas
authors.forename: Janine A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Grace A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Levy-Clarke
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Buggage
mesh_terms: D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M