HTLV-I infection among relatives of patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in Brazil: analysis of infection transmission.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

HTLV-I infection among relatives of patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in Brazil: analysis of infection transmission.

Leuk Lymphoma. 1998 Oct;31(3-4):411-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99084551
Borducchi DM; Oliveira JS; Bordin JO; Kerbauy J; The Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Service-Universidade; Federal de Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Brazil.

Abstract: We examined the presence of HTLV-I infection among 66 family members of 13 patients with well documented ATL to investigate the routes of HLTV-I transmission in a Southeast region of Brazil. HTLV-I infection was screened by an enzyme immunossay (ELISA) test and all repeatedly positive or indeterminate ELISA samples were further tested by a Western-Blot (WB) technique. Indeterminate and inconclusive WB samples were confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). ELISA results showed that 40 (60.6%) individuals were not infected; 16 (24.2%) were positive; and 10 (15.2%) were undetermined. Among 16 ELISA positive subjects, 14 (87.5%) were confirmed to be positive by WB while 2 (12.5%) showed inconclusive results. Based on the laboratory data, questionnaire analysis, and family/epidemiological studies, we concluded that HTLV-I vertical transmission occurred in 6 of the 13 families. In 3 of these 6 families, the horizontal transmission also could be demonstrated. An isolated horizontal transmission was detected in one family, and in 6 families we did not find any infected family member. All HTLV-I-infected persons were clinically asymptomatic. The occurrence of an effective HTLV-I vertical transmission detected by the present study suggest that HTLV-I infection is endemic in the Southeast region of Brazil. Consistent with the modes of transmission, the HTLV-I antibody seroprevalence was greater in relatives of ATL patients than in the general blood donor Brazilian population (0.4%). In addition, the present data suggest that HTLV-I carries a high infectivity rate but a low virulence.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Adolescence Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Brazil/EPIDEMIOLOGY Child Child, Preschool Female Human HTLV-I/*ISOLATION & PURIF HTLV-I Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY/GENETICS/*TRANSMISSION Leukemia, T-Cell/GENETICS/*VIROLOGY Male Middle Age Pedigree
990530
A9950952

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