HTLV-I transmission from mother to child.
Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I), a causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia, (ATL) is transmitted from mother to child. ATL cells originate from the CD4 subset of peripheral T cells. The main route of mother-to-child transmission is postnatal breast-feeding. Refraining from breast-feeding or limiting the duration of breast-feeding can reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Other than postnatal breast-feeding, there seem to be two routes of HTLV-I transmission from mother to child. One is intrauterine transmission, and the other is via saliva. Intrauterine transmission is rare, although proviral DNA is detected in cord blood samples. HTLV-I proviruses in the cord blood may be defective. HTLV-I proviral DNA and antibodies against HTLV-I are also detected in saliva. However, no report has been published so far which showed direct evidence of HTLV-I transmission via saliva. The placenta can be infected by HTLV-I, but infection does not reach the fetus, possibly apoptosis of placental villous cells because it is induced by HTLV-I infection.
Fujino
T
T
School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan. toshinet@health.nop.kagoshima-u-ac-jp
Nagata
Y
Y
D017209:Apoptosis; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000821:virology; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies