Incidence of HTLV-I/II infection in seronegative high-risk individuals.
The frequency of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reactivity was studied in two groups of high-risk individuals in Amsterdam: hard drug users and heterosexual outpatients of the sexual transmitted diseases (STD) clinic. Both groups were seronegative as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot (WB), and radioimmuno-precipitation assay (RIPA). Detection of HTLV-I and HTLV-II in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) was performed by PCR, using primer sets indicative for the pol and tax genes. In the hard drug users group (n = 25) no evidence of HTLV-I/II infection was found whereas in the STD group (n = 21) one individual was identified with HTLV-II proviral DNA. Positive reactions in PCR were confirmed only for three seropositive controls after in vitro culture of MNC but not for the PCR-positive, seronegative individual. Virus production in vitro could not be detected by a sensitive HTLV-I antigen capture assay for viral p24gag proteins after in vitro T-cell stimulation of MNC, either from PCR-positive or PCR-seronegative individuals. This suggests again a low viral production rate. It is concluded that infection with HTLV-II can be detected among high-risk seronegative individuals.
Al
B
B
Department of Developmental Research, Central Laboratory of The Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam.
Visser
S
S
van den Hoek
A
A
van Doornum
G
G
Coutinho
R
R
Huisman
H
H
D000328:Adult; D015981:Epidemiologic Factors; D016355:Genes, pX; D015751:Genes, pol; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications