title: Mother-to-child transmission of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) in Gabon: a prospective follow-up of 4 years.
abstract: For 4 years. we determined the mode and risk of mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-I in a prospective cohort of 34 children born to seropositive mothers in Franceville, Gabon. We also determined the prevalence of antibodies to HTLV-I/II in siblings born to seropositive mothers. Antibodies to HTLV-I/II were detected by Western blot, and the proviral DNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The risk of seroconversion to anti-HTLV-I for the 4 years of follow-up was 17.5 percent. Anti-HTLV-I/II and proviral DNA were only detected after age 18 months. We observed a seroprevalence rate of 15 percent among the siblings born to HTLV-I/II seropositive mothers. Furthermore, we report a case of mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-II infection in a population of HTLV-II-infected pregnant women that is emerging in Gabon. The lack of detection of HTLV-I/II proviral DNA in cord blood and amniotic fluid and, furthermore, the late seroconversion observed in the children indirectly indicate that mother-to-child transmission occurred postnatally, probably through breast milk.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Nyambi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ville
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Louwagie
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bedjabaga
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Glowaczower
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kerouedan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dazza
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larouze
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van der Groen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delaporte
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000821:virology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies