Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 and Eye Diseases

Abstract

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1, also known as human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), is a retrovirus that encodes a reverse transcriptase, which translates viral RNA into a DNA provirus that is integrated into the host genome. The virus was found to be a causative agent of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) in the early 1980s, and was also found to cause the neurological disorder tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP)/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM) and the inflammatory disorder HTLV-1 uveitis in the mid 1980s and early 1990s, respectively. This article reviews eye diseases caused by or related to HTLV-1: HTLV-1 uveitis, ocular and systemic complications of HTLV-1, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, interstitial keratitis, and ATL.

HTLV-1 in Ophthalmology

“…The peak age at uveitis onset was in the 50s followed by the 60s for women, and in the 60s followed by the 70s for men, according to one recent survey (Terada et al, 2017b), which showed that age at onset had increased compared with previous research. Women greatly outnumbered men among HU patients (Takahashi et al, 2000;Terada et al, 2017a). Recurrence of uveitis was seen in 30-50% of HU patients (Nakao and Ohba, 1993;Takahashi et al, 2000;Terada et al, 2017a).…”

“…Women greatly outnumbered men among HU patients (Takahashi et al, 2000;Terada et al, 2017a). Recurrence of uveitis was seen in 30-50% of HU patients (Nakao and Ohba, 1993;Takahashi et al, 2000;Terada et al, 2017a).…”

“…The most frequently reported HTLV-1associated ocular disease is HU (Kamoi and Mochizuki, 2012b). Ophthalmologists have reported on HU from Hokkaido to Kyushu, with cases described from all over Japan (Mochizuki et al, 1992b;Goto et al, 1994;Kawamoto and Hayasaka, 1994;Ohba et al, 1994a,b;Ishioka et al, 1995;Takahashi et al, 2000;Miyanaga et al, 2009;Kase et al, 2013;Terada et al, 2017a). As for other areas of the world, clinical research into HU has been reported from the United States (Beilke, 1995), Martinique (Merle et al, 1996), Britain (Sandy et al, 1996), and Brazil (Yamamoto et al, 1999).…”

“…HU has been reported to accompany HAM in Japan (Ohba et al, 1989;Terada et al, 2017a;Nakao et al, 2018). Sjögren's syndrome/KCS has also been described in patients with HAM in Japan, Martinique (Merle et al, 1996), and Brazil (Yamamoto et al, 1999(Yamamoto et al, , 2002.…”

“…HTLV-1-associated ocular diseases are mainly categorized into HTLV-1 uveitis (HU) and ATL-related ocular manifestations. Even now, HU is the most frequent ocular inflammatory disease in endemic areas (Terada et al, 2017a), which is a concerning issue. Ophthalmologists and researchers have been tackling this virus and gaining knowledge regarding HTLV-1-associated ocular diseases over the past three decades.…”