A HTLV-I CARRIER WHO SHOWED VARIOUS SYMPTOMS AND ANTIBODIES OF AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASES

We report a 37-year-old female HTLV-I carrier with complicating primar y biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Serum anti-HTLV-I antibody titer was x256. Flower cells (4.5%) were fo und in the peripheral blood. Southern blot analysis showed no clonal i ntegration in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) DNA. Polymerase chain reaction showed the HTLV-I genome in PBL DNA. As cholestatic liver dys function and serum titer of anti-mitochondrial antibody were found, a clinical diagnosis of PBC was made. This patient later developed MCTD. These diseases responded well to prednisone. The pathogenetic relatio nship of HTLV-I infection with various autoimmune diseases is discusse d.