Factors associated with pain in individuals infected by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)

Dislene N. dos Santos, Kionna O.B. Santos, Alaí B. Paixão, Rosana Cristina P. de Andrade, Davi T. Costa, Daniel L. S-Martin, Katia N. Sá, Abrahão F. Baptista

Despite the high prevalence of chronic pain in individuals infected with HTLV-1, predictive and protective factors for its development are still unclear. To identify factors associated with chronic pain in individuals with HTLV-1. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a reference center for treatment of patients infected with HTLV-1 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The study included individuals infected with HTLV-1, over 18 years, and excluded those with difficulty to respond the pain protocol. Data on sociodemographic, health behavior, and clinical characteristics were collected in a standardized way. The prevalence ratio (PR) of pain is described and the factors independently associated with the presence of pain were assessed by multiple logistic regression. sample total of 142 individuals were entered the study, mostly female (62.7%), aged 20-64 years (73.2%), married (61.3%), with less than eight years of education (54.2%), and with a steady income (79.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that being symptomatic for HTLV-1 - sensory manifestations, erectile dysfunction, overactive bladder, and/or HAM/TSP (PR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.38), self-medication (PR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.08-1.53), physiotherapy (PR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.02-1.28), and depression (PR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.01-1.29) were associated with an increased likelihood of presenting pain. On the other hand, physical activity (PR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.67-0.93) and religious practice (PR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.72-0.95) were associated with a decreased likelihood of having pain. The use of self-medication, physiotherapy and the presence of depression are independently associated with neurological symptoms in HTLV-1 infected patients. Religious practice and physical activity are both protective for the development of pain.