title: Prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome in Brazilian patients infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is known to be associated with neoplastic and neurodegenerative changes, and it is believed to be associated with various systemic inflammatory diseases, including Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Although HTLV-I infection is endemic in Brazil, there is no information regarding the association between HTLV-I infection and SS in the Brazilian population. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of SS in HTLV-I-infected individuals and the prevalence of HTLV-I infection in individuals diagnosed with SS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serology for HTLV-I was performed in 50 patients presenting with complaints consistent with SS (the SS group). The HTLV-I group comprised 129 HTLV-I-infected patients who were screened for SS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the patients in the SS group tested positive for HTLV-I. Of the 129 patients in the HTLV-I group, 46 (35.7%) had xerostomia, 18 (13.95%) had xerophthalmia, eight (6.2%) had hyposalivation, two (1.55%) showed impaired tear secretion, and one (0.77%) was positive for autoantibodies (anti-SSB). In addition, six underwent minor salivary gland biopsy, and the histopathological findings were consistent with SS. Only two (1.55%) met the diagnostic criteria for SS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of SS was found to be three times as high in HTLV-I-infected individuals as it was in those without HTLV-I infection. However, given the small number of HTLV-seropositive patients with SS, it is impossible to state that HTLV acts as an immune-activating pathogen for SS.
authors.affiliation: Special Care Dentistry Center, Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Assis do
authors.initials: DAD
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine of Sao Paulo, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casseb
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases "Emilio Ribas", Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Augusto César Penalva
authors.initials: ACP
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericordia, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bussoloti Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suzana Cantanhede Orsini Machado
authors.initials: SCOM
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Special Care Dentistry Center, Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karem López
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ortega
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: HTLV-associated myelopathy ⁄ tropical spastic paraparesis; Sjögren's syndrome; human T-cell lymphotropic virus; xerostomia