Author:
Inomata Silva Bianca Lumi,da Cunha Rodrigues Francisco Erivan,Tsukimata Márcio Yutaka,Botelho Bruno José Sarmento,Santos Luciana Cristina Coelho,dos Santos Pereira Neto Gabriel,Lima Aline Cecy Rocha,André Natália Pinheiro,Galdino Sarah Marques,Monteiro Danniele Chagas,Yoshikawa Gilberto Toshimitsu,Mendonça Leonardo Teixeira,do Amaral Juliana Lasmar Ayres,de Britto Pereira Cruz Rosana,Onuma Débora Oliveira,Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário,de Carvalho Klemz Bárbara Nascimento,Vallinoto Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres
Abstract
BackgroundReports on the association between HTLV-2 infection and the development of diseases in the human host are rare, which has led the scientific community to believe that HTLV-2 is not an important etiological agent of lymphoproliferative or neurodegenerative disorders, which is the case for HTLV-1. In the present study, we demonstrated cases of fibromyalgia in HTLV-1 carriers and, in an unprecedented finding, in two patients with confirmed HTLV-2 infection.MethodsA total of 957 individuals visited the Virology Laboratory at the Federal University of Pará for screening and confirmation tests for HTLV-1/2 infection. Individuals with confirmed HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection were clinically evaluated for signs and symptoms associated with infection.ResultsSixty-nine individuals (7.2%) were identified as positive for HTLV infection, with 56 confirmed cases of HTLV-1 infection (5.9%), 12 cases of HTLV-2 infection (1.2%) and one case classified as undetermined (0.1%). Sixteen (23.2%) of these patients presented with rheumatological signs and complained of diffuse pain throughout the body; 12 of whom were infected by HTLV-1 (75%) and 4 were infected by HTLV-2 (25%). After anamnesis and careful evaluation, four patients were diagnosed with fibromyalgia, two of whom were infected by HTLV-1 (16.7%; 2/12) and two by HTLV-2 (50%; 2/4). The clinical follow-up and laboratory analysis results are reported in detail in this paper.ConclusionConsidering the clinical cases presented herein as the first reports of patients with HTLV-2 infection with clinical symptoms of fibromyalgia, the importance of further studies on the pathogenicity of HTLV-2, similar to what have already been performed for HTLV-1, is highlighted. Our results also confirm previous evidence of an association between HTLV-1 infection and fibromyalgia.