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Rate of positive autoimmune markers in Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 carriers: a case‐control study from Iran
Author(s) -
Ahmadi Ghezeldasht Sanaz,
HedayatiMoghaddam Mohammad Reza,
Habibi Meysam,
Mollahosseini Farzad,
Rafatpanah Houshang,
Miri Rahele,
Hatef Fard MohammadReza,
Sahebari Maryam
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1756-185X
pISSN - 1756-1841
DOI - 10.1111/1756-185x.13002
Subject(s) - medicine , tropical spastic paraparesis , antibody , anti nuclear antibody , rheumatoid factor , myelopathy , immunology , serology , leukemia , autoantibody , psychiatry , spinal cord
Abstract Aim Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 ( HTLV ‐1) infection with high prevalence in the north‐east of Iran, particularly in Mashhad, can lead to adult T‐cell leukemia ( ATL ) and HTLV ‐1‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis ( HAM / TSP ) and a variety of autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the presence of autoimmune markers in HTLV carries. Methods Serum samples were obtained from blood donors in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. One hundred and five HTLV ‐1 positive (cases) and 104 age‐ and sex‐matched HTLV ‐1 negative donors (controls) were assessed for presence of serum autoimmune markers by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results The mean ages of cases and controls were 40.8 ± 9.4 and 41.5 ± 9.3 years, respectively ( P = 0.5). In the case group, 81.9% and in the control group 83.7% were male ( P = 0.74). The frequency of positive antinuclear antibodies and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in the serum of the two groups were not significantly different ( P = 0.68 and P = 0.62, respectively). Only one antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐positive case (1%) was observed in the group and no anti‐phospholipid immunoglobulin G positivity was observed. The frequency of rheumatoid factor ( RF ) was greater in case group than in the control group, although the difference was not significant ( P = 0.08). The amount of RF in all 12 RF positive sera were higher than normal levels (33–37 IU / mL ). Conclusion Because we failed to detect any significant relation between serum autoimmune markers and HTLV ‐1 infection, and because of the relatively low prevalence of autoimmune diseases, it could be concluded that healthy HTLV ‐1 carriers do not produce rheumatologic‐related auto‐antibodies more than the healthy population.