Association of HTLV-I with autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) and in HTLV-I carriers. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Association of HTLV-I with autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) and in HTLV-I carriers.

Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1996 Oct;45(4):461-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/97118203
Akamine H; Takasu N; Komiya I; Ishikawa K; Shinjyo T; Nakachi K; Masuda M; Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,; University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Human T-lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I) is a retrovirus that causes adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL). This virus is associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders. The possible association between HTLV-I Infection and autoimmune thyroiditis has not been fully studied. We therefore evaluated anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb) in the sera of patients with ATL, carriers of HTLV-I, and in healthy control subjects to investigate the possible association between such infection and auto-immune thyroiditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two ATL patients (21 males, 31 females; mean age 56.4 years) and 50 HTLV-I carriers (18 males, 32 females; mean age 56.7 years) were studied. The control subjects were 877 healthy adults (271 males, 606 females; mean age 54.8 years) who were negative for HTLV-I antibody. TPOAb, TGAb, thyroxine (T4) and thyrotrophin (TSH) were measured in serum using a radioimmunoassay kit. RESULTS: Positivity for thyroid autoantibodies (TPOAb and/or TGAb) was found in 21 of 52 ATL patients (40.4%), 15 of 50 HTLV-I carriers (30.0%), and 120 of 877 control subjects (13.7%). The difference between the HTLV-I-Infected and the control subjects was statistically significant (P < 0.005). Female control subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of positivity for thyroid autoantibodies than the males (17.3 vs 5.5%, P < 0.001). Carriers of HTLV-I and patients with ATL of each sex showed an equally high prevalence of positivity for thyroid autoantibodies. Of the subjects who were positive for thyroid autoantibody, 7.5% of control subjects, 19.0% of ATL patients, and 40.0% of HTLV-I carriers had hypothyroidism. A significant difference in this respect was noted between the HTLV-I infected subjects and the control subjects (P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of positivity for thyroid autoantibodies (TPOAb and/ or TGAb) in the adult T-cell leukaemia patients and the HTLV-I carriers. The adult T-cell leukaemia patients and the HTLV-I carriers each had a high prevalence of hypothyroidism. There was an association between HTLV-I infection and autoimmune thyroiditis.
Keywords: Autoantibodies/BLOOD Carrier State/*IMMUNOLOGY Female Human Hypothyroidism/IMMUNOLOGY/VIROLOGY HTLV-BLV Infections/*IMMUNOLOGY *HTLV-I Iodide Peroxidase/IMMUNOLOGY Leukemia, T-Cell/*IMMUNOLOGY Male Middle Age Sex Factors Thyroglobulin/IMMUNOLOGY Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/IMMUNOLOGY/*VIROLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDautoantibodies/bloodcarrierstate/KWDimmunologyfemalehumanhypothyroidism/immunology/virologyhtlv-blvinfections/KWDimmunologyKWDhtlv-iiodideperoxidase/immunologyleukemia,t-cell/KWDimmunologymalemiddleagesexfactorsthyroglobulin/immunologythyroiditis,autoimmune/immunology/KWDvirologyjournalarticle
970228
M9721901

Copyright © 1997 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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