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Although human T-cell leukaemia virus(HTLV)type I is known to cause a number of diseases,there has been no convincing evidence of pathological changes after infection with the related virus,HTLV-II.We have found an endemic focus of HTLV-II infection among members of an American Indian population in New Mexico,USA.We set out to determine the pathological consequences of HTLV-II infection in this population and identified two sisters(aged 59 and 46 years)with a disease superficially resembling the myeloneuropathy induced by HTLV-I.These women had a syndrome similar to the olivopontocerebellar atrophy variant of multiple system atrophy,and HTLV-II infection was confirmed by western blot and the polymerase chain reaction.Thus,HTLV-II may,like HTLV-I,cause a progression neurodegenerative disease. |
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