Prevalence of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II in volunteer blood donors and high-risk groups in northwestern Greece.
BACKGROUND
In addition to human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) is prevalent among blood donors in the United States. In Greece, there are no epidemiologic data regarding the prevalence of HTLV-I/II among volunteer blood donors and high-risk groups.


METHODS
To determine the prevalence of HTLV-I/II infections in northwestern Greece, a seroepidemiologic study was conducted among volunteer blood donors, multiply transfused patients, heroin addicts, and chronic hemodialysis patients. The subjects were tested for serologic evidence of HTLV-I/II infection by enzyme immunoassays and specific protein immunoblot confirmatory test.


RESULTS
None of the volunteer blood donors and heroin addicts had detectable antibodies to HTLV-I/II. Only 1 (1.45%) of the 69 multiply transfused patients had indeterminate results, while 2 (1.2%) of 163 hemodialysis patients were positive.


CONCLUSIONS
In northwestern Greece, routine screening for HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections does not appear to be required. However, the finding of seropositivity among hemodialysis patients requires further evaluation of the origin of the infection, as its zero prevalence in this population seems to exclude transfusion transmission.
Dalekos
G N
GN
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece.
Zervou
E
E
Karabini
F
F
Elisaf
M
M
Bourantas
K
K
Siamopoulos
K C
KC
D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000382:microbiology
D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies