title: Transfusion-associated transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II: experience of a regional blood center.
abstract: During a 22-month period, 78,000 blood donors were screened for human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) at Belle Bonfils Memorial Blood Center (Denver, Colorado). Positive donors and the living recipients of their previously donated blood components were evaluated for risk factors and symptoms related to HTLV-I infection, were screened by enzyme immunoassay, confirmed by Western blot for HTLV-I/II, and subsequently tested by polymerase chain reaction and peptide enzyme immunoassay to distinguish between HTLV-I and -II infection. Six seropositive blood donors (0.008%) were identified; four were typed as having HTLV-I infection and two as having HTLV-II. Of 18 living recipients of components from seropositive donors, none had risk factors for HTLV-I infection prior to transfusion and none had signs or symptoms of HTLV-I infection at follow-up. The mean time from transfusion to testing was 6.4 years. Seven recipients of HTLV-I-infected components were HTLV seropositive; all were typed as having HTLV-I. A possible case of posttransfusion HTLV-I-associated myelopathy was identified in one patient who died before complete evaluation. One possible case of transfusion-associated HTLV-II was identified. These data further support the continued screening of blood donors for HTLV-I/II.
authors.affiliation: Belle Bonfils Memorial Blood Center, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Herr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ambruso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fairfax
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001771:Blood Banks; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000382:microbiology; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000209:etiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction