Prevalence Of HTLV-1 Infection Research Articles

Gene expression profiling of p53 and c-myc in HTLV-1 positive blood donors in Congo.

The HTLV-1 infection persists for life, remaining as asymptomatic viral reservoirs in most patients, ensuring the chain of transmission, but around 4% develop adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). HTLV-1 is an oncogenic retrovirus that transforms CD4+ T lymphocytes and deregulates the lymphoproliferative pathways that contribute to the development of ATLL. To achieve cell transformation, most oncogenic retroviruses use proto-oncogene capture transduction, with proviral integration disrupting the expression of tumor suppressors or proto-oncogenes. We conducted this study on the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in blood donors to expand the HTLV-1 database, assess the risk of transmission via blood products, as well as evaluate the risk of persistent infection or development of neoplastic diseases in HTLV-1 carriers. This is a cross-sectional study of blood donors of all categories. For this study, 265 blood donors were recruited at the Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine in Brazzaville. After testing for HTLV-1 antibodies by ELISA, proviral DNA was extracted from all ELISA-positive samples for detection by nested PCR, followed by RT qPCR using specific primers p53 and c-myc for gene expression. 20/265 were positive for anti-HTLV-1 antibody, 5 donors were positive for proviral DNA. The prevalence of HTLV-1 was 1.8%. All HTLV-1-positive donors were male (1.8%), with a positive correlation (p = 0.05); the 1.1% of positive donors were regular, with the majority aged between 31 and 45 years (1.5%), and concubine donors were the most frequent (1.1%). All samples showed normal expression of the p53 and c-myc genes. The prevalence, though low, remains a serious problem. No abnormal p53 or c-myc gene expression was detected in HTLV-1-positive donors, which could mean that none of the T lymphocytes in these donors had been transformed by HTLV-1.

Adult t-cell leukemia/lymphoma: case report in southern Brazil

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that can be primary of the skin or secondary, caused by Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) infection. The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection is high in Brazil, however reports of ATLL are rare, possibly underdiagnosed and underreported. This paper presents a case report of a patient coming from the south of Brazil, a region of the country with few cited cases of this comorbidity. It shows the importance of disclosing data on infection by the virus, so that public policies for prevention can be carried out, as well as the presentation of cases that develop ATLL.

Human T-Lymphotropic virus type 1 and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection in rural Gabon.

Human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) co-infection occur in many populations. People living with HIV-1 and infected with HTLV-1 seem more likely to progress rapidly towards AIDS. Both HTLV-1 and HIV-1 are endemic in Gabon (Central Africa). We investigated HTLV-1 and HIV-1 co-infection in the Haut-Ogooué province, and assessed factors that may favor the rapid evolution and progression to AIDS in co-infected patients. Plasma samples from HTLV-1 patients were tested using ELISA, and positive samples were then tested by western blot assay (WB). We used the polymerase chain reaction to detect HTLV-1 Tax/Rex genes using DNA extracted from the buffy coat of ELISA-positives samples. We recruited 299 individuals (mean age 46 years) including 90 (30%) men and 209 (70%) women, all of whom are under treatment at the Ambulatory Treatment Centre of the province. Of these, 45 were ELISA HTLV-1/2 seropositive. According to WB criteria, 21 of 45 were confirmed positive: 20 were HTLV-1 (44%), 1 was HTLV-1/2 (2%), 2 were indeterminate (4%) and 22 were seronegative (49%). PCR results showed that 23 individuals were positive for the Tax/Rex region. Considering both serological and molecular assays, the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was estimated at 7.7%. Being a woman and increasing age were found to be independent risk factors for co-infection. Mean CD4+ cell counts were higher in HTLV-1/HIV-1 co-infected (578.1 (± 340.8) cells/mm3) than in HIV-1 mono-infected (481.0 (± 299.0) cells/mm3) Individuals. Similarly, the mean HIV-1 viral load was Log 3.0 (± 1.6) copies/ml in mono-infected and Log 2.3 (± 0.7) copies/ml in coinfected individuals. We described an overall high prevalence of HTLV-1/HIV-1 co-infection in Gabon. Our findings stress the need of strategies to prevent and manage these co-infections.

Prevalence of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 and 2 among Blood Donors in Jiangsu from 2016 to 2019

To investigate the prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type-I/II infection among voluntary blood donors in Jiangsu (Nanjing, Suzhou, Xuzhou). From 2016 to 2019, 408 262 samples of voluntary blood donors from four blood stations in Jiangsu Province (Jiangsu Province Blood Center, Nanjing Red Cross Blood Center, Suzhou Central Blood Station, and Xuzhou Central Blood Station) were screened for HTLV-I/II antibody by ELISA. The positive samples were sent to National Center for Clinical Laboratories for confirmation by RT-PCR and Western blot. The positive rate of HTLV-I/II screened by ELISA was 0.20‰ (82/408 262), and three HTLV-I positive samples were confirmed. The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was 0.74 per 100 000 (3/408 262). All three donors were female repeated blood donors of childbearing ages. Jiangsu is a low prevalence area of HTLV, and a reasonable blood screening strategy for HTLV can further reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted virus infection.

HTLV screening of blood donors using chemiluminescence immunoassay in three major provincial blood centers of China

BackgroundHuman T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) remains a major safety concern for blood supplies. Despite many HTLV positive cases being reported in southeastern China, the detection of HTLV has not been prioritized in routine blood screening. Additionally, data on the prevalence of HTLV infection among blood donors is also limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HTLV among blood donors in three Chinese provinces through their representative blood centers, to evaluate the feasibility of chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for blood screening.MethodsFrom November 2018 to March 2019, blood plasma samples were collected from Hebei, Changsha, and Shenzhen blood centers and were screened for the HTLV-1/2 antibody using a CLIA and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This was followed by confirmatory tests using INNO-LIA HTLV I/II.ResultsA total of 59,929 blood donations were collected and screened for HTLV-1/2. The reactive rate of CLIA and ELISA among donations in the Shenzhen blood center (0.0943%, 27/28,621) was higher than Hebei (0.0248%, 4/16,144), and Changsha (0.0198%, 3/15,164) (p < 0.05). After confirmation, 3 samples were confirmed as indeterminate for HTLV antibodies, and only one sample from the Shenzhen blood center was confirmed as HTLV-1. The overall prevalence of HTLV-1/2 was 1.67 per 100,000 (1/59,929). The HTLV-infected blood came from a 32-year-old first-time female donor with a high school degree, who belonged to the SHE ethnic minority and was born in the Fujian province.ConclusionsIn summary, the overall prevalence of HTLV-1/2 among blood donors in the three blood centers in China remains relatively low. However, blood donations with positive or indeterminate results for HTLV antibodies reminded us of the importance of HTLV screening among blood donors in China.

Prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 infection among blood donors in mainland China: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the last 20 years

ABSTRACTBackground: The southeastern coastal area of China has a high prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among blood donors. However, the estimation of HTLV-1 prevalence on a national and regional level is little known. The aim of this study is to understand and explore the estimation of HTLV-1 infection prevalence among blood donors on a national and regional level in mainland China by using a systematic review and meta-analysis.Study design and methods: All relevant publications of the past two decades (1998–2017), which were reported in both English and Chinese languages, were adopted and systematically assessed. The estimation of prevalence and its 95% confidence interval (CI) at the level of provinces/municipalities and overall were estimated using meta-analysis method.Results: From the 327 studies searched, 60 met the inclusion criteria. These were from 18 provinces and four municipalities and included 1,420,079 blood donors. The overall estimation of the HTLV-1 prevalence in blood donors was 0.169‰, and its 95% CI was 0.121‰-0.240‰.Conclusion: A disproportionate distribution of HTLV-1 infection among blood donors in different provinces/municipalities regarding its prevalence has been reported. This study recommends developing appropriate HTLV-1 screening strategies of blood donors in various regions of China considering regional prevalence, and cost-effectiveness.

Seroprevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) in blood donors in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Human T-cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) 1 and2 are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), transfusion-transmissible and causally linked to various severe diseases. However, even in SSA countries with moderate to high endemicity, routine blood donor screening for HTLV is rarely, if ever, performed. Information on seroprevalence is limited.The aim of this review is to establish the prevalence of HTLV-1 andHTLV-1/2 among blood donors in sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically reviewed databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE and the Cochrane database library from their inception to June 2018. Studies presenting data on HTLV prevalence among blood donors in sub-Saharan Africa were included. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted on all eligible studies. A total of 25 studies were included, representing 74119 blood donors, of whom over 80% (61002) were only tested for HTLV-1. The evidence base was high and moderate in quality. The pooled prevalence of the 17 studies that screened only for HTLV-1 and the nine studies that screened for HTLV-1/2 was 0·68 (95% CI: 0·29-1·60) and 1·11 (95% CI: 0·47-2·59) per 100 blood donors, respectively. The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among blood donors is relatively low. The current review is intended to inform debates and decisions about best practices to prevent transfusion-transmitted HTLV in sub-Saharan Africa. Further work is required to determine the risk of infections by transfusion and the cost-effectiveness of any new measures such as routine screening.

Impact of Pretransplant HTLV-1 Seropositivity on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for the Diseases Other Than ATLL- an Analysis on Behalf of JSHCT Complication Working Group-

Abstract Background Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus which is known as the cause of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Some reports indicated that HTLV-1 carriers were immunologically compromised host. Although there were several reports about the survival impact of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for ATLL, no large study concerning HSCT for the HTLV-1 carrier with the diseases other than ATLL has been reported. Japan is one of endemic countries of HTLV-1, and the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was reported to be almost 1% of Japanese population. On behalf of the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (JSHCT) Complication Working Group, we here report the impact of HTLV-1 serological status on survival in those with HSCT for the diseases other than ATLL by using the Transplant Registry Unified Management Program (TRUMP) which is the nationwide survey database of the Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Patients and Method There were 25840 patients (24400 adult and 1440 child), who had the information about the pretransplant serological status of HTLV-1, received their first HSCT between Jan 2007 and Dec 2015 in TRUMP database. We analyzed an overall survival (OS) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) after HSCT in relation to HTLV-1 serological status using Kaplan-Meir method, Gray's test. A Gray test for NRM calculated considering with disease related death as the competing risk. In multivariate analyses using Cox proportional hazard model for OS and Fine-Gray proportional hazards models for competing risk of NRM. And a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. A statistical analysis was performed with 'EZR'. Results Median age of HTLV-1 carrier and non-carrier in adult patients were 57 years (17-76) and 53 years (16-88) and in pediatric patients were 11 years (0-15) and 8 years (0-15), respectively. The number of HTLV-1 carrier/non-carrier in adult patients in each disease were 80/7511 in AML, 133/6673 in malignant lymphoma, 34/3265 in plasma cell neoplasm, 30/2885 in ALL, 31/2178 in MDS, 8/446 in CML, 5/539 in aplastic anemia, and 11/570 in others, respectively. The number of HTLV-1 carrier/non-carrier in pediatric patients in each disease were 3/684 in ALL, 6/394 in AML, 2/170 in MDS, 2/76 in congenital metabolic disease, and 3/100 in others. The number of HTLV-1 carrier/non-carrier in adult patients who received allo-HSCT or auto-HSCT were 237/15777 and 95/8920, and in pediatric patients who received allo-HSCT was 16/1424, respectively. No HTLV-1 carrier child recipients who recieved auto-HSCT were identified in TRUMP database. There were no significant differences about stem cell sources, disease risk, and HCT-CI score before HSCT between HTLV-1 carriers and non-carriers. The OS rates at 3yr after allo-HSCT in adult and pediatric HTLV-1 carrier vs non-carrier were 40.7% vs. 50.2% (P=0.003) and 49.1% vs. 67.1% (P=0.318), and NRM rates at 1yr after allo-HSCT were 46.9% vs 23.6% (P=0.001) and 18.8% vs 11.7% (P=0.05), respectively. In multivariate analyses in terms of OS and NRM, HTLV-1 carrier was a significant prognostic factor in adult patients (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03-1.47, P‹0.001 for OS, and HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05-1.61, P‹0.001 for NRM) and in pediatric patients (no statistical significance was seen on OS, and HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.17-5.70, P‹0.001 for NRM). The incidence of non-infectious NRM, such as pulmonary complications (IPS/DAH, ARDS), acute and chronic GVHD, MOF, and VOD/SOS was significantly higher in adult HTLV-1 carriers who received allo-HSCT when compared with that in HTLV-1 non-carriers. On the other hand, Infectious NRM was significantly higher incidence in child HTLV-1 carrier. With respect to disease related death, there were no differences between HTLV-1 carrier and non-carrier both in adult and pediatric patients. Among the adult patients who received auto-HSCT, there was no statistically significant difference in terms of OS, NRM, and disease related death between HTLV-1 carrier and non-carrier. Conclusion This is the first large study showing the survival impact of HTLV-1 serological status in patients with diseases other than ATLL who received HSCT. It demonstrated that HTLV-1 antibody-positivity was the poor prognostic factor in terms of OS and NRM after allo-HSCT in adult patients and NRM after allo-HSCT in pediatric patients. Disclosures Nakasone: Phizer: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Kyowa Hakko Kirin: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Suzuki:Kyowa-Hakko Kirin: Honoraria; Chugai Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Mochida Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Shionogi: Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Meiji Seika Pharma: Honoraria; MSD: Research Funding; Ohtsuka: Honoraria; Sawai Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma: Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; MundiPharma: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy.

Estimation of HTLV-1 vertical transmission cases in Brazil per annum.

BackgroundBrazil has at least 800,000 HTLV-1 infected individuals. HTLV-1 can be transmitted via sexual intercourse, contact with blood and from mother to child, mainly by breastfeeding. Treatments for the high morbidity/mortality associated diseases (ATL and HAM/TSP) are limited, therefore, infection prevention is of utmost importance. However, antenatal screening is not routinely performed in Brazil. A lack of data regarding the number of individuals infected via breastfeeding impairs the development of government policies. The objective is to estimate the number of HTLV-1 infections occurring annually due to mother to child transmission (MTCT) in Brazil, nationally and regionally.MethodologyTo estimate HTLV-1 MTCT in Brazil the following variables are modelled: number of births, prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in pregnant women, breastfeeding duration rate and transmission risk according to breastfeeding period. The number of cases of HAM/TSP and ATL attributable to MTCT are also estimated.Principal findingsIn 2008, there were 2,934,828 live births in Brazil. HTLV prevalence in pregnant women in Brazil ranges between 0.1–1.05% by region. An estimated 16,548 HTLV-1 infected women are pregnant each year. According to the breastfeeding pattern and HTLV-1 prevalence of each region there are an estimated 3,024 new cases of HTLV-1 infection due to MTCT annually of which 2,610 are preventable through infant feeding advice. These 3,024 transmissions will result in 120–604 cases of ATL and 8–272 of HAM/TSP. North-East region comprises the high number of MTCT cases, followed by South-East.Conclusions/significanceA high number of new HTLV-1 infections due to MTCT occur every year in Brazil. Antenatal screening and avoiding breastfeeding are essential to prevent subsequent development of HTLV-1-associated diseases.

Is there any association between human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection and Behcet’s disease?

Both human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection and Behcet’s disease (BD) are common to a similar geographic area. Furthermore, some clinical presentations of BD and HTLV-1 infection, such as ocular lesions and neurologic involvement, are the same. The aim of this study was to assess a possible association between BD and HTLV-1 infection.In this case-control study, the HTLV-1 infection frequency in BD patients was compared with that for the general population. The case group consisted of 68 patients with a definite diagnosis of BD who referred to a research center at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Mashhad, Iran. The control group consisted of 210 healthy individuals selected from the general population of Mashhad. The presence of HTLV antibodies in the sera was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the seroreactive samples were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction.HTLV-1 infection was detected in 4.41% (3/68) and 1.43% (3/210) of cases and controls, respectively; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P value = 0.16).The prevalence of HTLV1 infection in patients with BD was three-fold higher than in the general population, which suggests an association between these two conditions.

Serological detection of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types I and II among pregnant women in Ilorin, Nigeria

ABSTRACTHuman T-cell lymphotropic virus types I/II (HTLV-I/II) is endemic in some parts of the world including Nigeria. Reported prevalence rates in Nigeria have largely focused on blood donors. This study aims at determining the prevalence of HTLV infection among pregnant women in Ilorin North-central Nigeria. Serum samples from 276 pregnant women who were antenatal clinic attendees at General and Civil Service Hospitals in Ilorin were tested for the presence of HTLV-I/II antibodies using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay test kits from Diagnostic Automation INC., USA. Out of the 276 women tested, 3 tested positive giving a prevalence rate of 1.1%. The result was analyzed on the basis of age, marital status, nature of family, educational status, occupation, religion, parity, and gestational stage of the women. There was no statistical association of HTLV positivity with any of the variables. Although relatively lower than prevalence rate recorded among similar study groups in other parts of the country, the 1.1% prevalence in this study underscores the need for proper education and creation of awareness among antenatal clinic attendees, so as to reduce viral transmission and incidence of HTLV-related diseases.

HTLV-1/2 is rare among Eastern-European intravenous drug users (IDUs)

Background HTLV-1/2 and HIV likely share the same transmission routes and thus in Europe HTLV occurs mainly among IDUs, interests in clinical implications of HTLV-1/2 coinfection on HIV disease progression have risen. So far the available evidence suggests a protective role of HTLV-2 and adverse effect of HTLV-1 on HIV infection. In Europe, the overall prevalence of HTLV infection is up to 18% among IDUs and less than 1% among blood donors. However, there is no data regarding the overall prevalence of HTLV-1/2 in Eastern-European IDU population where the HIV epidemic mainly lies. We aimed to determine the prevalence of HTLV among IDUs in Estonia and compare it with the rate in healthy volunteers.

Prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in northeast of Iran

Northeast of Iran is a new endemic. Area for HTLV-1 and for the first time. Farid and his Immunology Dep at Mashhad University published paper and then Farid and safae in Aids research and human Retro virology volt 12 November 12 1996. Published prevalence of HTLV-1 in Iran several. Publication describes the prevalence of HTLV-1 in Jewish individuals born in city of Mashhad Iran. Then we reported serological and generic studies in the non Jewish population of Mashhad as well as Neishabour. Seropositive rate of HTLV-1 in Mashhad is 3.0% (21of 694). DNA sequence were amplified by PCR directly from the fresh PRMCs of seropositive individuals from Mashhad. Phylogenetic analysis of the viral DNA sequence indicated that HTLV-1 in Mashhad belong to the cosmopolite clade. ATL and HAM/TSP is common in the northeast of Iran.

Phylogeny of Human T Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 in Peru: A High Degree of Evolutionary Relatedness with South African Isolates

We investigated the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 in Peruvian HIV-1-positive subjects, and found a 10.1% prevalence in a consecutive series of 318 HIV-1-positive patients living in Lima. Phylogenetic analysis of the long terminal repeat of 10 patient isolates showed that all of them belonged to the HTLV-1aA (Transcontinental) subgroup. Although the majority of the Peruvian sequences included in the analysis formed a clade with other Latin American sequences, the isolates of three patients clustered significantly with South African strains. These data show a high prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in HIV-1-positive subjects living in Lima and confirm the presence in Latin America of HTLV-1 strains probably arising from South Africa.

Prevalence of HTLV infection in pregnant women in Spain

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of HTLV infection among pregnant women in Spain. Methods:A commercial ELISA incorporating HTLV-I and HTLV-II antigens was used for HTLV antibody screening. Repeatedly reactive samples...

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 tax among American blood donors.

In the United States, all blood used for transfusion is tested for the presence of antibodies to the structural components of the human T-cell lymphotropic viruses types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and -2). Based on such serologic tests, the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection is estimated to range from 0.016 to 0.1%. As a consequence of studies of patients with mycosis fungoides and some of their healthy relatives who are antibody negative but were found to carry the tax sequence of HTLV-1 in their lymphocytes and who had antibodies to the p40(tax) protein, a study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of the "tax-only" state in 250 healthy blood donors and other volunteers. Using PCR and Southern analysis for cell lysates and using Western blotting for plasmas, 8.6% of the blood donors proved to be tax sequence positive and antibody positive. Sequence analysis of specimens from 22 individuals proved that 20 of the sequences were homologous with that of HTLV-1 while 2 resembled the HTLV-2 sequence. The latter were obtained from volunteers of Indian origin. The possible clinical significance of the tax-only carrier state is discussed.

Reexamination of human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I/II) prevalence.

In the United States, blood donors are being screened for infection with human T cell lymphotropic viruses I and II (HTLV-I/II) by serologic means, which detect antibodies to the structural proteins of these viruses. Because patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) usually do not have such antibodies even though their cells harbor HTLV-I Tax and/or pol proviral sequences, it was questioned whether the prevalence of HTLV infection among healthy blood donors may also be underestimated by current means of testing. To examine this possibility, a study on specimens of relatives of mycosis fungoides patients (MFR) was begun. In addition, to collect data more expeditiously, a cohort of former injection drug users (IDUs) was tested by routine serologic methods, as well as by PCR/Southern blot analysis for Tax, pol, and gag proviral sequences and Western blot analysis for antibodies to the Tax gene product. To date, 6/8 MFRs and 42/81 (51.8%) of HIV-negative IDUs proved to be positive for HTLV, whereas routine serology identified none of the MFR and only 18/81 (22.2%) of the IDUs. Among the latter test subjects, the incidence of HTLV-I also proved to be 10 times higher than expected. Therefore, it is likely that among healthy blood donors infection with HTLV-I/II is more prevalent than is currently assumed. Since Tax is the transforming sequence of HTLV-I/II, testing for Tax sequences and antibodies to its gene product may be desirable in blood transfusion and tissue donor facilities.