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D Smadja

Publications and source records attributed to D Smadja.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[Vasculitis and neurologic manifestations related to HTLV-1].

OBJECTIVES: The most common neurological picture associated with HTLV-1 infection is a slowly progressive spastic paraplegia often involving nerve and muscle inflammation. We report here six cases of inflammatory vasculitis of the nervous system observed among HTLV-1 infected patients. METHODS: HTLV-1 infection was diagnosed in 6 female patients, mean age 58 years (range 40-77 years) using ELISA, Western blot or polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: All 6 patients presented a pyramidal syndrome which was associated with peripheral neuropathy in 3, myositis in 1 and a sicca syndrome in 3. Two groups of patients could be identified. In 3 patients, the neurological picture was typical of HTLV infection; pathology examination of biopsy material revealed necrozing vasculitis. In 3 other patients, the clinical course was particularly rapid, highly suggestive of anterior spinal artery infarction, associated, in 2, with a major inflammatory syndrome. CONCLUSION: These 6 cases demonstrate that vasculitis can be associated with HTLV-1 infection as has been observed in HIV-infected patients. In certain cases, clinical signs of vasculitis may be lacking while in others they may dominate the clinical manifestations.

Adult↗

Identification of novel neutralization-inducing regions of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type I envelope glycoproteins with human HTLV-I-seropositive sera.

The humoral immune response in sera from 30 human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-positive individuals from Martinique in the French West Indies was studied. The subjects were subdivided into those suffering from TSP/HAM and those being asymptomatic. In general, TSP/HAM patient sera seemed to contain more virus-specific antibodies than did the sera from the asymptomatic subjects. Three of the 13 TSP/HAM sera and 1 of the 17 asymptomatic sera contained HTLV-I-specific IgM antibodies, whereas 6 and 5 sera, respectively, contained IgA antibodies. By correlating the ability of patient sera to inhibit HTLV-I-induced syncytia with their antibody reactivity in ELISA to 42 synthetic peptides, together corresponding to the entire envelope glycoprotein of HTLV-I, a number of putative neutralizing domains were identified. Eight synthetic peptides representing the regions with the highest coefficient of correlation between neutralizing titer and ELISA reactivity were employed to specifically adsorb potentially neutralizing antibodies, and were also used directly, without sera, in the syncytium-neutralizing test. By those techniques, three novel and two previously described domains that seemed to contain neutralizing epitopes were identified. Two of the novel neutralizing sites resided in the external glycoprotein (gp46) and were contained within amino acids 53-75 and 287-311, respectively, and one was located in the transmembrane glycoprotein (gp21) within amino acids 346-368. Our findings may have implications for the rational design of subunit vaccines for prevention of and/or alteration of the clinical outcome of HTLV-I-related diseases.

Adult↗

[Ophthalmologic manifestations in spinal cord diseases caused by HTLV-I virus. Clinical study of 30 cases].

We present the results of ophthalmologic examinations of a consecutive series of 30 patients with HTLV-I associated myelopathy. This is the first ophthalmologic prospective study reported outside the Japanese endemic area. Twenty-one of the patients (70%) had kerato-conjunctivitis sicca in addition to accessory salivary gland lymphocytary infiltration in 7. Two cases of uveo-papillitis, 1 case of cotton-wool spots and 3 cases of retinochoroidal degeneration were also observed. Moreover, an aliquot of the aqueous humour was collected from the anterior chamber in 5 patients and showed high titer of HTLV-I antibodies for the 2 patients with uveo-papillitis. We propose different hypotheses to explain the physiopathologic characteristics of these features.

Adult↗

[Uveo-papillitis associated with paraparesis caused by HTLV-1 virus].

The human T-lymphotropic retrovirus type I (HTLV-1), isolated in 1980, has been shown to be responsible for two distinct systemic diseases: adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV associated myelopathy (HAM). Recently, an ever increasing number of publications have described other disorders associated with HAM. We report a case of uveitis-optic disc neuritis which, to our knowledge, had not been previously described. The fact that both uvea and optic disc were inflamed would suggest that immune-mediated reactions are involved in the pathogenesis of HAM.

Adult↗

[Paraplegia associated with HTLV 1 in Martinique. Study of 271 cases including 70 with neuromuscular involvement].

To date, 271 cases of HTLV1-associated paraplegia have been observed in Martinique (French West Indies). The clinical picture consisted mostly in a spastic paraparesis or paraplegia with sphincter disturbances (80%) and lower limbs pains (60%). The severity of the disease appeared variable: after a mean disease duration of 6.5 years, 40% of the patients could walk without help, 35% used a single crutch, and 25% used a couple of crutches or were confined to a wheelchair. A variable neuromuscular component was observed in 70 cases (25.4%). In 38 cases, the peripheral signs (SIGNS) or the myositis were only mild. In contrast, 25 patients presented with severe amyotrophy evoking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and 7 other had features of dermatopolymyositis. Lastly, an extra-neural spreading of the disease was extremely frequent, including lymphocytic alveolitis (76%), sicca syndrome (69%) and more rarely uveitis, arthritis or vasculitis.

Adolescent↗

[Neuropathy caused by necrotizing vasculitis in HIV-1 infection].

A 33 year-old male homosexual infected with human immunodeficiency virus type I developed an asymmetrical and painful neuropathy in the lower limbs. Neuro-muscular biopsy showed a necrotizing vasculitis. There were no clinical features indicative of systemic vasculitis. Prednisone therapy dramatically improved the neuropathy, without adverse effects. Although rare, necrotizing arteritis must be considered in HIV-1 patients with neuropathy, especially in case of mononeuropathy multiplex and when immunodepression is mild or absent, since a successful corticosteroid therapy can be prescribed.

Adult↗

Intravascular lymphomatosis (neoplastic angioendotheliosis) of the central nervous system: case report and literature review.

A 63-year-old woman developed gradual slowness, recurrent multifocal deficits, severe constitutional symptoms and hypopituitarism which progressed to death over 2.5 months. Elevation in lactico dehydrogenases was the main biological abnormality. Necropsy showed an intravascular malignant proliferation which proved to be a lymphoma of B-lineage. In order to better define diagnostic criteria, we reviewed previously reported cases of intravascular lymphomatosis of the central nervous system. A strategy for establishing the diagnosis is proposed.

Blood Vessels↗

Monosporium apiospermum meningoencephalitis: a clinico-pathological case.

Twenty nine cases of central nervous system infection due to Monosporium apiospermum have been reported. Six of them occurred after an aspiration pneumonia following a near drowning. The case of a 53 year old man is reported: M apiospermum was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid, sputum, urine and from the mud of the ditch where the patient had fallen. Though the treatment used recommended doses of intravenous, intrathecal and intraventricular amphotericin B, it was ineffective and the patient died 97 days after the near drowning. Necropsy showed that the ventricular infectious process was more prominent distant from the antifungal ventricular source.

Brain↗

[Cyclosporin and convulsions after cardiac transplantation].

6 p. 100 of a population of 129 heart transplant recipients presented isolated convulsions under cyclosporin (Ci) immunosuppressive treatment. These seizures were unexplained by acute causes, infectious or cerebro-vascular. Seizures started generally a few days after Ci therapy onset, and led often to severe convulsive states, with sometimes a status epilepticus. For most of them, Ci serum levels were within, or just above, the recommended therapeutic range. Ischemic brain damage that occurred prior to surgery and Ci therapy, could be a contributing factor to Ci-induced seizures in this population of heart transplant recipients.

Adolescent↗