[Strongyloides stercoralis in T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in adults and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].

The mechanisms of chronic infestation by Strongyloides stercoralis (Ss) are unknown. Immunodepression is classically evoked to explain the proliferation of the parasite that is sometimes massive and overwhelming. We present here two retrospective studies of 13 cases of strongyloidiasis (three disseminated strongyloidiasis) out of 26 patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and of ten cases of strongyloidiasis out of 98 patients with AIDS. Ten patients out of 98 were dually infected with both HIV and HTLV-1: 2/10 also infected by Ss. The frequency of Ss infection appears higher in ATL patients when compared with AIDS patients (P < 0.001). Ss-infected ATL patients were younger than those uninfected (P < 0.01). Ss-infected AIDS patients were older than the ones uninfected (p < 0.03). No significative difference was found between ATL and AIDS patients who were over 40 years-old. These data suggest that 1) the particular type of immunodepression produced early by HTLV-1 is more favorable to the development of Ss infection than the one associated with HIV, 2) the latency of expression of HTLV-1, prior to the development of leukemia, is reduced in Ss-infected patients, 3) Ss infection may slow down VIH pathogenic activity.