Nucleotide sequence analysis of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I pX and LTR regions from patients with sicca syndrome

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is associated with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM). Other inflammatory disorders may occur in HTLV-I-infected patients, such as sicca syndrome resembling Sjogren's syndrome. The sicca syndrome may be the unique clinical manifestation of HTLV-I infection, but is associated frequently with TSP/HAM, which could suggest that sicca syndrome might be an early event in disease progression to TSP/HAM in some cases. We investigated whether peculiar pX and LTR mutations could be related to sicca syndrome, or might argue the existence of clinical progression to TSP/HAM. pX, especially pX(I), pX(II), and pX(IV) ORFs corresponding to Tax cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes, and LTR regions from Caribbean patients who have sicca sydrome with or without TSP/HAM, ATL patients, and healthy carriers were sequenced. The sequences were aligned and compared with ATK-1 prototype and published sequences. LTR sequences exhibited 1.5-2.4 percent of divergence with ATK-1. pX-sequenced regions showed a lower homology within p12(I) encoding sequences. Only few mutations were found within functionally important regions, but were not associated specifically with the clinical status. Finally, no existence of clinical progression to TSP/HAM were found. It would be of interest to study the clinical evolution of HTLV-I-sicca syndrome in patients and to determine HTLV-I sequences from peripheral blood and salivary glands at different stages. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.(Au)

HTLV-I associated sicca syndrome in Guadeloupe: lack of relation with a peculiar encoding sequence of surface envelope glycoprotein.

We previously reported a strikingly high prevalence of ocular diseases in HTLV-I infected patients in Guadeloupe (Caribbean basin). We sequenced the surface envelope encoding region of 7 HTLV-I proviruses from guadeloupean patients (5 with sicca syndrome, 2 with TSP/HAM). No relation between sequence and disease was observed. These 7 sequences are the first described from Guadeloupe.

[Neuromyelopathy in the population of Noir-marron of Saint-Laurent du Maroni in French Guiana]. / Neuromyélopathies dans la population de Noirs marrons de Saint-Laurent du Maroni en Guyane française.

The neurological observations have been reported at André Bouron Hospital of Saint-Laurent du Maroni and at General Hospital of Cayenne during a period of 5 years. All patients belonged to the "Noir Marron" ethnic group and lived in the area of Saint-Laurent. There were six women and four men, aged 15-35 years. Neurological symptoms were isolated or associated to other organ failure. Neurological manifestations included retrobulbar optic neuropathy, spastic paraparesis, sensitive ataxia and cerebellar ataxia, psychiatric symptoms were observed. Other organs affected were cardiovascular, digestive, cutaneous or endocrinologic (thyroid). Diet consist mainly in cassava. Thiamin deficiency has been observed several times. Improvement of neurological deficits following thiamin administration points towards Thiamin as an etiological factor. Ethnological specificity of Saint-Laurent area may explain that such neurological manifestation have not been observed in the rest of the department.

HTLV-1 infection and the sicca syndrome - abstract

In this study, evidence for a sicca syndrome was sought in 54 HTLV-1 positive patients of whom 33 (61 percent) were women and 21 (39 percent) were men. Patients who had other known causes of sicca syndrome were excluded from this study. A lacrimal hyosecretion was found in 79 percent of cases. A lacrimal qualitative deficiency was found in 86 percent of patients and a variable intensity coloration with fluorescein and/or Rose Bengal was positive in 83 percent of cases. The histological study of the conjunctivals prints showed an ocular dryness in 65 percent of patients. The labial minor salivary glands biopsy showed a Gougerot-Sjogren syndrome in 78 percent of cases. In our study, a sicca syndrome with varying severity was found in 78 percent of cases (AU)

[HTLV1 infection and sicca syndrome]. / Infection à HTLV1 et syndrome sec.

UNLABELLED: PURPOSE OF THE STUDY AND MATERIAL: A search for sicca syndrome was performed in 54 HTLV 1 positive patients. Cases of sicca syndrome due to associated pathologies, or iatrogenic, were eliminated from this study. RESULTS: Lacrimal hyposecretion was found in 79% of the cases. Defective lacrimal quality was found in 86% of patients and a variable intensity coloration with the Fluorescine and/or with Rose Bengale was positive in 83% of cases. Histological study of the conjunctival print showed ocular dryness in 65% of the patients. Biopsy of the labial minor salivary glands showed a Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome in 71% of the cases. CONCLUSION: In our study, a sicca syndrome with varied gravity was found in 78% of cases.

[A case of polyradiculoneuritis associated with dengue in a patient native to French Guiana]. / Un cas de polyradiculonévrite associé à une dengue chez une patiente originaire de la Guyane Française.

An acute polyradiculoneuritis in a woman native of French Guiana has been observed with serologic conversion against flaviviruses by inhibition of hemagglutination test. Dengue's diagnostic was been kept in spite of lack of causal virus isolation and non-typical clinical symptoms. Association dengue-polyradiculoneuritis appears quite uncommon and is worthy of note, in view of frequency of infection by Flaviviruses.