title: Prevalence of human T cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) in selected Tijuana subpopulations.
abstract: To assess the prevalence of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) infections among potentially high-risk populations in the city of Tijuana, Mexico, the prevalence of specific antibodies was determined and information on risk behaviors was obtained between June and October 1988. The study involved 631 presumably healthy individuals, randomly selected from a study population recruited sequentially from prisoners, prostitutes, and injecting drug users (IDUs), and randomly from homosexual and bisexual men. The presence of HTLV-1/2 antibodies was determined by enzyme immunoassay and an immunofluorescence method, and positive reactions were confirmed by a radioimmunoprecipitation assay and Western blot. The prevalence of HTLV-1/2 was 2% (2 of 105) among prostitutes, 7% (29 of 410) among prisoners, 1% (1 of 105) among homosexual/bisexual men, and 21% (22 of 106) among IDUs. To properly identify the specific HTLV type, a subsequent sample of 41 imprisoned IDUs were voluntarily and anonymously recruited in June 1990 and asked to donate 20 ml of whole blood. Twenty-two percent (9 of 41) were serologically positive for HTLV-1/2, and polymerase chain reaction analysis performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells identified HTLV-2 as the specific virus prevalent in this group. Two individuals were positive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). One of these individuals was coinfected with HTLV-2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, California.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guerena-Burgueno
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Benenson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sepulveda-Amor
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ascher
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Vugia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies