Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
HUMAN T CELL LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE I INFECTION IN A JAPANESE IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN HAWAII
Diss Abstr Int [B]; 51(5):2307 1990. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/91669594 Ho GYF; Johns Hopkins Univ.
Abstract:
A cross-sectional study on HTLV-I infection was conducted in Japanese families originated from Okinawa, an HTLV-I endemic area in Japan, and now residing in Hawaii, a non-endemic area. The aim of the study was to examine the seroprevalence, factors related to transmission, and health implications of HTLV-I infection. The fathers of these families were first identified from the cohort of a prospective study established in 1965. Stored sera of the fathers collected in 1967-1975 were tested for HTLV-I antibodies. The seropositive fathers and a random sample of seronegative fathers were the index subjects for this study. The index subjects and their family members, including wives, children, and spouses of the children, were studied. Sera were collected and tested for HTLV-I antibodies, and data on factors related to transmission and health markers were obtained via questionnaire. The HTLV-I seroprevalence in the fathers was 11.4% in 1967-1975. When their sera were tested again in this study in 1987-1988, no seroconversion or seroreversion was detected. Seroprevalence in the wives was 11.4% and 41.2% among those whose husbands were seronegative and seropositive, respectively (p less than 0.001); it also increased significantly with the HTLV-I antibody levels of the husbands. Transmission of HTLV-I, perhaps through sexual contact, in married couples was suggested. A substantially low seroprevalence of HTLV-I was found among the children (about 1%). Infectivity in the parents, who lived in a non-endemic area, might be relatively low, and this could be responsible for the low seroprevalence in the offspring-generation. HTLV-I seropositivity was not related to sanitary condition in the household and degree of contact among household members. Casual contact might not be an important route of transmission of HTLV-I. As compared to the seronegative subjects, the seropositive subjects had a lower participation rate in this study and lower levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, hematocrit, and hemoglobin; they were also more likely to have been hospitalized and have acupuncture treatments. HTLV-I infection might have some subtle health effects on the host. (Full text available from University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, MI, as Order No. AAD90-30201)
Keywords: Cross-Sectional Studies Female Hawaii Human HTLV-I Antibodies/ANALYSIS HTLV-I Infections/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION Japan/ETHNOLOGY Male THESIS 910430
M9140687
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
