Interstitial Pneumonia Developed in HTLV-I Carriers: Report of Two Cases

• Published in: YONAGO ACTA MEDICA Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 125 - 131
• Main Authors: Naoto Burioka, Hisashi Suyama, Yuji Sugimoto, Hiroki Chikumi, Hiroki Yajima, Katsuyuki Tomita, Eiji Hoshino, Yukio Matsumoto, Takao Sasaki, Makoto Motoi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Tottori University Faculty of Medicine 1997
• ISSN: 0513-5710

Two carriers of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) with interstitial pneumonia are described. The first case, a 60-year-old man, was admitted with cough and dyspnea on exertion. Light microscopy of a lung specimen obtained by a transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) showed thickening of the alveolar walls with infiltration of lymphocytes and fibrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma. Immunohistochemical analysis of the TBLB specimen showed positive staining in the lymphocytes for UCHL-1. This case was suspected as HTLV-I associated bronchiolo-alveolar disorder. The second case, a 74-year-old man, visited our hospital because of a persistent productive cough and dyspnea on exertion. Light microscopy of the TBLB showed a slight thickening of the alveolar walls and fibrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma with minimal infiltration of lymphocytes. Only 2.2% of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid consisted of lymphocytes. The findings of the second case suggest that some factors other than T-lymphocytes may be related with the development of interstitial pneumonia in HTLV-I carriers. Interstitial pneumonia in HTLV-I carriers may be caused by as yet undiscovered mechanisms. A cohort study involving residents of an area where HTLV-I is endemic should be conducted to clarify the mechanism of pulmonary involvement in HTLV-I carriers.