Antibody to the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) envelope protein Gp46 in patients co-infected with HCV and HTLV-1.
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is known to affect hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and to accelerate the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-infected patients. In this study, we found the prevalence and titer of an antibody recognizing the central region of the HTLV-1 Gp46 protein to be associated with the severity of chronic liver disease. The antibody prevalence was significantly correlated with the stage of chronic liver disease (P < 0.0001): 3 (14.3%) of 21 patients with minimal-mild chronic hepatitis, 12 (24%) of 50 with moderate-severe chronic hepatitis, 7 (87.5%) of 8 with liver cirrhosis, and 13 (100%) of 13 with hepatocellular carcinoma. These results indicate that the antibody may be a useful marker of the deterioration of liver disease in patients co-infected with HCV and HTLV-1. This antibody may be useful for the diagnosis of liver diseases and the development of more effective treatments.
Takeoka
Hiroaki
H
Department of Environmental Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Furusyo
Norihiro
N
Toyoda
Kazuhiro
K
Murata
Masayuki
M
Sagara
Yasuko
Y
Kashiwagi
Seizaburo
S
Hayashi
Jun
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000276:immunology
D015686:Gene Products, env; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; C055266:gp46 protein, Human T-cell leukemia virus type I