High seroprevalence of anti–HTLV‐I antibody in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objective. To investigate the association between human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) infection and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Nagasaki, an area highly endemic for HTLV‐I infection. Methods. Sera from 113 female patients with RA and 19,796 female blood donors were screened for anti–HTLV‐I antibodies with a gelatin particle agglutination kit and confirmed using an immunoblotting kits. Results. The age‐adjusted summary odds ratio of HTLV‐I infection among RA patients, as compared with blood donors, was 2.8 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.8–4.6). The etiologic fraction, i.e., the proportion of RA in the study population that is attributable to HTLV‐I infection, was estimated to be 13.2% (95% CI 5.1–21.2). There was no significant difference in the clinical and laboratory findings between HTLV‐I–infected and HTLV‐I–uninfected RA patients. Conclusion. These epidemiologic findings support the idea that HTLV‐I infection is a risk factor for RA, and suggest that ∼13% of the cases of RA in females living in Nagasaki are associated with HTLV‐I infection.

Human T lymphotropic virus type I in arthropathy and autoimmune disorders

“…A similar study has been recently performed by Eguchi and colleagues (24) in patients with HTLV-I infection and arthropathy. Those investigators calculated the age-adjustcd summary odds ratio of HTLV-I infection in RA.…”

Suppression of autoimmune arthritis in interleukin‐1‐deficient mice in which T cell activation is impaired due to low levels of CD40 ligand and OX40 expression on T cells

“…These abnormalities closely resemble those in human RA. Moreover, epidemiologic findings have suggested involvement of this virus in some proportion of the population with RA (23). Thus, the HTLV-I Tg mouse model is a unique RA model in which arthritis develops spontaneously via the same pathogen as one found in RA.…”

Treatment With Anti–Tumor Necrosis Factor Biologic Agents in Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type I–Positive Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

“…Chronic inflammatory diseases, such as myelopathy, uveitis, Sjögren's syndrome, arthritis, bronchoalveolitis, and polymyositis, have been reported to be related to HTLV-I infection (3,4). A study in Nagasaki, Japan showed the HTLV-I positive rate in patients with RA was higher than in blood donors (5). There are studies that have reported HTLV-I-associated arthropathy, which has unique clinical characteristics, such as the involvement of large joints, marked inflammation, and extraarticular symptoms (4,6).…”