Presence of human T‐lymphotropic virus type II‐related genes in DNA of peripheral leukocytes from patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases

Abstract

No etiologic role of human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) in any disease is yet known. The present study showed a high incidence of HTLV-II proviral DNA fragments in DNA of peripheral blood leukocytes from patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases. Using primers for the pol and tax regions of HTLV-II proviral DNA, amplified DNA fragments were demonstrated in 51.5% of the patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and in 11.8% of those with Graves' disease examined, but in only 1.9% of the disease controls and 1.0% of healthy individuals. These amplified DNA fragments hybridized with each of the inner probes. The nucleotide sequences of the DNA fragments of the pol and tax regions showed high homology with those of the prototype of HTLV-II. No antibodies for HTLV-II could, however, be detected in the patients examined. Because of the absence of its antibody, HTLV-II infection was not confirmed in these patients, but the presence of HTLV-II proviral DNA or its related DNA at high frequency suggests a relationship of HTLV-II with the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases in Children

“…Moreover, several infectious agents have been implicated including Yersinia enterocolitica [22, 23], Coxsackie B virus [24], retroviruses [25, 26], and Helicobacter pylori [27]. …”

Myasthenia gravis associated with HTLV‐I infection and atypical brain lesions

“…Other physiopathological explanations could be: (1) virus‐induced immunomodulation of CD4 + T cells that control B cells secreting anti‐AChR antibodies; and (2) direct virus‐induced polyclonal activation of B cells driving the secretion of AChR antibodies. Interestingly, an association between HTLV‐I and other autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes5 and thyroid diseases,4, 16 has been described. The patient studied herein had a history of diabetes and hypothyroidism although no specific auto‐antibodies were detected.…”

The human T‐cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV‐1): New insights into the clinical aspects and molecular pathogenesis of adult t‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV‐associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM)

“…Disease Complications An entire spectrum of rheumatologic syndromes have been linked epidemiologically to HTLV-1 (and possibly HTLV-2) infection, as alluded to in the beginning of this chapter (Beilke et al, 1996;Inose et al, 1992;Kawai et al, 1992;Kimura, 1992;Mochizuki et al, 1992;Sowa, 1992;Yokoi et al, 1995). However, with the exception of HTLV-1 uveitis, epidemiologic proof of association between HTLV-1 and autoimmune diseases is weak.…”