Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of a human T cell leukemia virus type 2 strain from French Guiana.
Extensive studies have been carried out on native Amerindian populations living in French Guiana in an attempt to detect human T cell leukemia virus type 2 (HTLV-2). However, the first strain of this virus identified in this region was not detected in these populations, but in a Brazilian woman of Amerindian origin. Comparative analyses of the nucleotide sequences of 589 bp of the gp21 env gene and of 625 bp of the long terminal repeat (LTR) showed that this new HTLV-2 strain (HTLV-2 GUY) was of subtype A. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that HTLV-2 GUY was closely related to a group of distinct variants of HTLV-2 subtype A strains originating mostly from Brazilian inhabitants and formerly called HTLV-2 subtype C. As there is a high level of immigration from Brazil in French Guiana, we carried out a seroepidemiological study of 175 Brazilians, mostly women (obtained from a serum databank) and 72 female Brazilian prostitutes living in French Guiana to determine whether HTLV-2 is likely to become an emerging infection in this area. No HTLV-2 infection was detected, indicating that this virus is unlikely to become prevalent in the near future.
Kazanji
M
M
Laboratoire de Rétrovirologie, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, 97306 Cayenne, French Guiana. mkazanji@pasteur-cayenne.fr
Benoit
B
B
Meddeb
M
M
Meertens
L
L
Marty
C
C
Gessain
A
A
Talarmin
A
A
D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D005616:French Guiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000235:genetics*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C069569:human T-cell leukemia virus type-II protein gp21