Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060 Vol. 94, Num. 1, 1999, pp. 19-20

RESEARCH NOTE

Relationship between the Human T-lymphotropic Virus Type 1Infection and Clinical Manifestations of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in the Colombian Pacific Coast

Ana Milena Lenis/⁺, Abraham Blank*, Liliana Valderrama, Nancy Gore Saravia

Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM), Avda. 1N No 3-03, Cali, Colombia *Departamento de Morfología, Universidad del Valle, Calle 4B No 36-00, Cali, Colombia
⁺Corresponding author. Fax: +57-2-667.29.89. E-mail: cideim@cali.cetcol.net.co

Received 29 June 1998; Accepted 13 October 1998

Code Number:OC99007
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RESEARCH NOTE

Key words: human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection - tegumentary leishmaniasis - clinical manifestations - Colombia - Pacific Coast

The human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was the first retrovirus reported in humans, and it is a cellular transforming agent (BJ Poiesz et al. 1980 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77: 7415-7419). It has the capacity to produce tumors of T-cells, neurologic diseases and possibly immunosuppression (M Popovic et al. 1984 Science 226: 459-462). The HTLV-1 has been associated with the etiology of several diseases, such as the adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (K Takatsuki et al. 1977 Excerpta Medica: 73-77), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (GC Roman & M Osame 1988 The Lancet I: 651) and tropical spastic paraparesis (A Gessain et al. 1985 The Lancet II: 407-410). Moreover, an interaction has been observed between retroviral infection and clinical expressions of some diseases such as leprosy, infective dermatitis and strongyloidiasis (L Legranade et al. 1990 The Lancet 336: 1345-1347, A Blank & F Rosso 1996 Acta Médica Colombiana 21: 122-126), that occur occasionally as hyperinfection in carriers of HTLV-1, as in the case of strongyloidiasis. Immunosuppression induced by viral infection may contribute to the development of these disease presentations. Among the inhabitants of the Colombian Pacific Coast there is a relatively high seropositivity of 2.8% for HTLV-1 (G Roman 1988 Ann Neurol 23 (Suppl): s113-s120, C Arango et al. 1990, p. 377-383. In William A Blattner, Human Retrovirology: HTLV-1, Raven Press Ltd., New York). Because tegumentary leishmaniasis is frequent in this area, and presents with a broad clinical spectrum, and subclinical infection is more frequent than the disease, we postulated the possible existence of a relationship between chronic/severe clinical expressions of tegumentary leishmaniasis and coinfection with HTLV-1 evidenced by the presence of antibodies in the serum. We analyzed 92 serum samples from individuals residing in Tumaco (Nariño); 23 were obtained from patients with chronic disease (duration of disease > 6 months); 23 from patients with acute disease (duration of disease < 3 months), and 46 from individuals with subclinical infection (positive leishmanin test, without evidence of either active lesions or scars compatible with leishmaniasis). Antibodies to HTLV-1 were detected by latex particle agglutination (Serodia HTLV-1 Fujerebio Inc., Tokyo, Japan). Two samples (2.2%) were positive for antibodies to HTLV-1, one having a titer of 1: 64, and the other 1: 32 (Table). These two sera were confirmed using western blot (Problot HTLV-1 Fujerebio Inc., Tokyo, Japan). Sera are considered positive for antibodies to HTLV-1 when they react with the glicoprotein 46 (gp46) a membrane or envelope protein, and two of the following proteins: p53, p24 or p19 structural proteins. The samples that were positive by agglutination also were positive by immunoblot. One sample was positive for the gp46, p53 and p24; the other for the gp46, p24 and p19.

Both positive samples corresponded to individuals with subclinical infection. The frequency of seropositivity for antibodies anti HTLV-1 in the study population was similar to the prevalence observed for the general population from the Pacific Coast. Therefore there is no evidence of an association between HTLV-1 and a more severe clinical presentation of dermal leishmaniasis.

Although the HTLV-1 infection may produce immunosuppression, coinfection evidently does not trigger the development of disease in the individuals with subclinical Leishmania infection. On the other hand, it is unknown whether the course and time of evolution of HTLV-1 infection could have bearing on the development of disease in individuals with subclinical infection with Leishmania parasites or if modulation of the immune response by HTLV-1 infection might favor a subclinical outcome of Leishmania infection.

This work was supported by Colciencias 2229-04-164-97 and in part by Sasakawa Lab., Universidad del Valle. AML was supported by the Young Investigators program (Jóvenes Investigadores) of Colciencias.

Copyright 1999 Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz

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