       Document 0259
 DOCN  M9640259
 TI    Prevalence of HTLV-I-associated uveitis in the Kanto Plain, Japan.
 DT    9604
 AU    Ishioka M; Goto K; Nakamura S; Watanabe N; Uchio E; Saeki K; Ohno S;
       Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
 SO    Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 1995 Aug;233(8):476-8. Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96002923
 AB    BACKGROUND: Seroprevalence of antibody to human T-lymphotropic virus
       type I (HTLV-I) is high in the island of Kyushu, Japan. Reports on the
       etiological analysis of HTLV-I in patients with uveitis primarily
       document cases in this island. We studied the seroprevalence of HTLV-I
       at the Department of Ophthalmology in Yokohama City University Hospital
       and in Odawara Municipal Hospital, which are in the Kanto Plain on the
       island of Honshu, Japan. METHODS: The subjects were 741 patients who
       visited the two hospitals. The presence of serum antibodies against
       HTLV-I was assessed using the method of particle agglutination. RESULTS:
       Of 454 patients with nonuveitic ocular diseases, 9 (1.98%) were
       seropositive. Of 143 patients with definite diagnosis of uveitis, 1
       (0.70%) was seropositive. Of 144 patients with non-specific uveitis
       (etiology undefined), 8 (5.56%) were seropositive. Thus, the prevalence
       of serum antibodies to HTLV-I was higher in patients with non-specific
       uveitis than in patients with specific uveitis or nonuveitic ocular
       diseases. Common ocular symptoms of 8 HTLV-I-infected patients with
       non-specific uveitis were compatible with the clinical features of
       uveitis described as HTLV-I-associated uveitis (HAU). CONCLUSION: It is
       important to suspect HAU in patients with uveitis of unknown etiology,
       even outside known areas of prevalence.
 DE    Adult  Aged  Female  Human  HTLV-I Antibodies/*BLOOD  HTLV-I
       Infections/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY  Japan/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Male  Middle
       Age  Prevalence  Uveitis/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

