Evaluation of morbidity among human T lymphotropic virus type I carriers in Miyazaki, Japan

Morbidity associated with human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection was investigated in a Japanese population within an area in which HTLV-I infection is endemic. Of 1824 subjects enrolled in the Miyazaki Cohort Study between November 1984 and May 1991, 500 (27.4%) were seropositive for HTLV-I antibodies, As expected from previous studies, HTLV-I positivity appeared to be associated with baseline history of anemia (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.99-1.7) and kidney disease (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 0.91-2.9); a positive association also was noted for asthma in men (OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.2-9.8), Unanticipated findings included a relationship between HTLV-I infection and cardiac disease history (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.94-2.2); HTLV-I carriers also were more likely to have an abnormal electrocardiogram at baseline (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.2-1.9), Furthermore, an apparent protective effect for ulcers (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.40-0.95) and diabetes (OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.22-1.1) was observed, HTLV-I infection may modify the risk of specific disease outcomes by altering host immune function.