Soriano V, Gutierrez M, Esparza B, Pujol E, Cilla G, Aguilera A, Cuende I, Tor J, Ollero M, Merino F; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24; 8: 22 (abstract no. PuA 6070).

CNIC, Madrid, Spain.

OBJECTIVES: HTLV-I was the first known human retrovirus. It has been associated with some lymphoproliferative disorders and neurological diseases. HTLV-II is a closely related retrovirus that has been associated with the Chronic fatigue syndrome and an atypical form of Hairy-cell leukemia. We summarized the results of several studies on the prevalence of HTLV-I/II infection in Spain. METHODS: Antibodies to HTLV-I/II were analyzed by EIA (Du Pont, Abbott, and Cambridge-Biotech, USA) in sera from 5525 high-risk individuals and 857 blood donors. Reactive samples were tested by a conventional Western blot (Du Pont, USA) and/or two WB which used the gp21 and the gp46 specific peptides (Biokit, Spain; and Cambridge-Biotech, USA) in order to distinguish HTLV-I and HTLV-II antibodies. Positive WB results were interpreted following WHO criteria, and the manufacturer's recommendations. Samples were collected between 1988 and 1991. They corresponded to blood donors (n = 857), Polytransfused subjects (n = 173), African immigrants (n = 271), Drug addicts (n = 3207), Homosexual men (n = 88), Seamen (n = 499), Non-African immigrants (n = 341), and patients with: Hematological malignancies (n = 236), Paraparesis and other subacute neurological disorders (n = 124), Collagenoses (n = 227), AIDS (n = 104), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (n = 43), Chronic T lymphocytosis (n = 17), and other groups (n = 195). RESULTS: Seven samples met the WB criteria for HTLV-I infection: one seamen, 2 drug users, 2 TSP patients, and 2 West African immigrants. Nine samples met the WB criteria for HTLV-II: 6 drug users, 2 African immigrants, and one patient with multiple myeloma who likely acquired HTLV-II by blood transfusion. HTLV-II antibody were not detected in Chronic fatigue patients. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections are both present in Spain. Two cases of HTLV-I associated myelopathy has been identified to data. HTLV-II infection seems to be more frequent than HTLV-I among drug users, but its prevalence is lower than 0.2%.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Blood Donors
• Blotting, Western
• Emigration and Immigration
• HTLV-I Infections
• HTLV-II Antibodies
• HTLV-II Infections
• Homosexuality
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 1
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 2
• Humans
• Immunoenzyme Techniques
• Male
• Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic
• Prevalence
• Spain
• epidemiology

Other ID:

• 92404086

UI: 102201800

From Meeting Abstracts