title: Mother-to-child transmission of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in Jamaica: association with antibodies to envelope glycoprotein (gp46) epitopes.
abstract: To study mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-I in Jamaica, we screened antenatal patients in Kingston, Jamaica, from 1983 to 1985. Of 2,329 women, 81 (3.5%) were HTLV-I seropositive. Two to three years later, 36 seropositive mothers were recontacted, and blood was drawn from them and their children. All sera were tested for HTLV-I antibodies, and mother's sera were additionally tested for HTLV-I whole-virus antibody titer, syncytium-inhibition neutralizing antibody titer, and titers to six synthetic peptides from the HTLV-I envelope glycoprotein gp46. Seventeen of 74 (23%) [95% confidence interval (CI) 15-34%] children were seropositive. HTLV-I transmission was associated with breast-feeding duration > 6 months [relative risk (RR) 3.2; CI 0.4-22.1], maternal age > 30 years (RR 2.8; CI 1.0-7.8), and higher maternal whole-virus antibody titer (RR 3.3; CI 1.3-8.5). After controlling for higher whole-virus antibody titer, transmission remained associated with higher titer of neutralizing antibody and higher titer of antibody to the peptide sp4a1, corresponding to amino acids 196-209 of the gp46 envelope glycoprotein. We conclude that mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-I in Jamaica is associated with longer duration of breast-feeding, older age, and higher HTLV-I antibody titer, in particular to a certain immunogenic portion of the gp46 envelope glycoprotein.
authors.affiliation: Viral Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: S Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Wiktor
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pate
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Palker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Champegnie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramlal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cranston
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hanchard
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Blattner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology*; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015486:HTLV-I Antigens; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; C055266:gp46 protein, Human T-cell leukemia virus type I