Are lipid disorders involved in the predominance of human T-lymphotropic virus-1 infections in women?

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Luciana Debortoli de Carvalho, Sandra Rocha Gadelha, Lauro Juliano Marin, Gustavo Eustaquio Alvim Brito-Melo, Camila Pacheco Silveira Martins, Flavio Guimarães da Fonseca, Edel Figueiredo Barbosa-Stancioli
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2015
• Subjects: HTLV-1; Lipid disorders and sex differences; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0068-2015; https://doaj.org/article/07f2385cb9b94aedbf7911fc9498ebc2

Abstract INTRODUCTION : The human T-lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1) is associated with chronic inflammatory diseases such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a chronic inflammatory disease. Disturbances in lipid metabolism are involved in inflammatory and demyelinating diseases. METHODS : Plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and fractions of HTLV-1-infected individuals of both sexes with different clinical progressions were determined. RESULTS : Elevated levels of triglyceride and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) were exclusively detected in HTLV-1-infected women from asymptomatic and HAM/TSP groups compared with uninfected individuals (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS : Elevated triglyceride and VLDL levels in HTLV-1-infected women may be related to the predominance of HAM/TSP in women.