Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 29, 2026

A Thin-skull Window Technique for Chronic Two-photon In vivo Imaging of Murine Microglia in Models of Neuroinflammation
12:07

A Thin-skull Window Technique for Chronic Two-photon In vivo Imaging of Murine Microglia in Models of Neuroinflammation

Published on: September 19, 2010

Chronic neurodegenerative disease associated with HTLV-II infection

B Hjelle1, O Appenzeller, R Mills

  • 1Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131-3061.

Lancet (London, England)
|March 14, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Human T-cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) infection may cause progressive neurodegenerative disease. Researchers identified this link in an American Indian population with an HTLV-II focus.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Virology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is a known pathogen causing various diseases.
  • Evidence linking the related Human T-cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) to pathological changes has been limited.

Observation:

  • An endemic focus of HTLV-II infection was identified in an American Indian population in New Mexico.
  • Two sisters within this population presented with a neurological syndrome resembling HTLV-I-induced myeloneuropathy.

Findings:

  • The affected sisters exhibited a syndrome similar to the olivopontocerebellar atrophy variant of multiple system atrophy.
  • HTLV-II infection was confirmed in both individuals using western blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Implications:

  • This study provides evidence that HTLV-II, similar to HTLV-I, can induce progressive neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms and prevalence of HTLV-II-associated neurological disorders.

More Related Videos

Quantification of Cerebral Vascular Architecture using Two-photon Microscopy in a Mouse Model of HIV-induced Neuroinflammation10:04

Quantification of Cerebral Vascular Architecture using Two-photon Microscopy in a Mouse Model of HIV-induced Neuroinflammation

Published on: January 12, 2016

Chronic, Acute, and Reactivated HIV Infection in Humanized Immunodeficient Mouse Models09:54

Chronic, Acute, and Reactivated HIV Infection in Humanized Immunodeficient Mouse Models

Published on: December 3, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Herpes01:28

Herpes

Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV‑1) is a widespread pathogen responsible for orolabial lesions. It is an enveloped, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus belonging to the family Herpesviridae. Once the virus infects a host cell, its double‑stranded DNA genome is delivered into the nucleus, where a coordinated cascade of immediate‑early, early, and late gene expression directs viral DNA replication, structural protein synthesis, and virion assembly. After primary infection of epithelial cells, HSV-1...
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology01:26

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction01:29

Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
Huntington Disease l: Introduction01:21

Huntington Disease l: Introduction

Huntington disease or HD is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.PathophysiologyIt is caused by expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat in the HTT gene on chromosome 4 (4p16.3), producing an abnormal huntingtin protein with an expanded polyglutamine tract. This misfolded protein disrupts cellular function, leading to neuronal death. Normal alleles have ≤26 repeats, 27–35 are intermediate (risk of expansion), 36–39 show reduced penetrance,...