title: Reexamination of human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I/II) prevalence.
abstract: In the United States, blood donors are being screened for infection with human T cell lymphotropic viruses I and II (HTLV-I/II) by serologic means, which detect antibodies to the structural proteins of these viruses. Because patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) usually do not have such antibodies even though their cells harbor HTLV-I Tax and/or pol proviral sequences, it was questioned whether the prevalence of HTLV infection among healthy blood donors may also be underestimated by current means of testing. To examine this possibility, a study on specimens of relatives of mycosis fungoides patients (MFR) was begun. In addition, to collect data more expeditiously, a cohort of former injection drug users (IDUs) was tested by routine serologic methods, as well as by PCR/Southern blot analysis for Tax, pol, and gag proviral sequences and Western blot analysis for antibodies to the Tax gene product. To date, 6/8 MFRs and 42/81 (51.8%) of HIV-negative IDUs proved to be positive for HTLV, whereas routine serology identified none of the MFR and only 18/81 (22.2%) of the IDUs. Among the latter test subjects, the incidence of HTLV-I also proved to be 10 times higher than expected. Therefore, it is likely that among healthy blood donors infection with HTLV-I/II is more prevalent than is currently assumed. Since Tax is the transforming sequence of HTLV-I/II, testing for Tax sequences and antibodies to its gene product may be desirable in blood transfusion and tissue donor facilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zucker-Franklin
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Pancake
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marmor
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Legler
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D005190:Family; D015750:Genes, gag; D016355:Genes, pX; D015751:Genes, pol; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes