title: Epidemiology of human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) infection in Spain. HTLV Spanish Study Group.
abstract: The human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) has recently been associated with the genesis of some subacute neurological syndromes and, rarely, with atypical T-lymphoid malignancies. The virus is endemic in some Amerindian and African tribes, and among intravenous drug users (IDUs) in North America and Europe. Given that HTLV-II is transmitted by the same routes as other human retroviruses, the screening of antibodies to HTLV-II in blood donors has became a matter of controversy in some countries. Herein, we describe the clinical, epidemiological and virological features of 113 individuals with HTLV-II infection identified in Spain up to September 1995. Most of them (94/113; 83%) were male, and all but seven were natives. Four were African immigrants living in Madrid and 3 had been born in other European countries. All but six subjects were IDUs, and sexual transmission of HTLV-II and transfusion were involved in five and one individual, respectively. Eighty-four percent of the IDUs infected with HTLV-II were co-infected by HIV-I (93/107). Clinical manifestations potentially linked to HTLV-II were absent, although an IDU male co-infected by HIV-1 and HTLV-II developed a severe non-inflammatory proximal myopathy. In conclusion, HTLV-II infection is present in Spain, mainly among IDUs, with a growing incidence and a current overall prevalence of 2.0 percent.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallejo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuset
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cilla
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Zapico
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dronda
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calderón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llibre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Romero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortiz de Lejarazu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ulloa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eirós
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Lahoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015497:HIV-1; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies