A study of HTLV-I and its associated risk factors in Trinidad and Tobago.
Seroprevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) among a sample of persons selected from a government register of businesses in Trinidad was 3.2% in 1,025 persons of African descent compared to 0.2% among 487 persons of Asian descent and 0% among 46 persons of European-descent. In Tobago, from a coastal village, among persons of African ancestry ascertained as part of a cardiovascular survey, the rate was 11.4%, which was significantly higher when corrected for age and race than the rate in Trinidad. The seroprevalence rate of antibodies to hepatitis A and B was also significantly elevated in Tobago compared to Trinidad. HTLV-I seroprevalence rates were higher in females than males while hepatitis A and B rates were not significantly different in the two sexes. For males, age was a significant determinant of HTLV-I seropositivity, while for females, age, markers of poor sanitation, and hepatitis B were each independently linked to HTLV-I seropositivity. The frequent occurrence of multiple infectious exposures in persons of lower socioeconomic circumstances in this tropical environment may result in immune activation that heightens susceptibility to HTLV-I infection.
Viral Epidemiology Section, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
W A
WA
Blattner
C
C
Saxinger
D
D
Riedel
B
B
Hull
G
G
Taylor
F
F
Cleghorn
R
R
Gallo
B
B
Blumberg
C
C
Bartholomew
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012923:Social Class; D012931:Social Environment; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies