HTLV-I infection among relatives of patients with adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma in Brazil: Analysis of infection transmission
Data
1998-10-01
Autores
Borducchi, Davimar Miranda Maciel 
Oliveira, José Salvador Rodrigues de
Bordin, Jose Orlando
Kerbauy, José
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Artigo
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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 an repeatedly positive or indeterminate ELISA samples were further tested by a Western-Blot (WB) technique. Indeterminate and inconclusive WE 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 WE 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.
Descrição
Citação
Leukemia & Lymphoma. Reading: Harwood Acad Publ Gmbh, v. 31, n. 3-4, p. 411-416, 1998.