The risk of tropical spastic paraparesis differs according to ethnic group among HTLV-I carriers in Inongo, Zaire.
Following the finding in 1990 of six HTLV-I-positive cases of tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP/HAM) is a field survey carried out in the city of Inongo (Bandundu, Zaire), the prevalence of HTLV-I infection has been studied by detection of specific antibodies on a randomized sample of the general population. Among the 1,162 subjects surveyed, 36 (3.1%) were found to be HTLV-I seropositive, giving a seroprevalence of 3.2% (CI: 2.1, 4.3) estimated by direct standardization on age and sex distribution given by the census in the city. Among the five major ethnic groups, the Bolia showed the highest prevalence rate (6.5%) but with no detected TSP/HAM cases, while all six TSP/HAM cases were found among the Ntomba, who showed a prevalence rate of only 2.2%. This finding suggests that besides HTLV-I infection, critical environmental and/or genetic cofactors play a part in the development of TSP/HAM.
Unité d'Epidémologie des Virus Oncogénes and URA 1157 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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D
Jeannel
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B
Garin
K
K
Kazadi
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L
Singa
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G
de Thé
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies