Human T-lymphotropic retrovirus type-1 in Thailand.
Seroprevalence of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) was surveyed among the Thai population by the particle agglutination test and Western blotting test. None of a total of 727 individuals from seven ethnic groups were positive for the specific antibody to HTLV-1. Among hospital based 3,427 subjects in Southern Thailand, one patient with a brain tumor showed positivity in the Western blotting test, however, HTLV-1 proviral genome was not identified by PCR. The present data suggest that HTLV-1 is not endemic in the Thai population and that HTLV-1 is not a major public health problem in Thailand because HTLV-1 rarely causes its associated diseases.
Ishida
T
T
Unit of Human Biology and Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan. tishida@biol.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Appassakij
H
H
Takao
S
S
Settheetham-Ishida
W
W
Tiwawech
D
D
Duangchan
P
P
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013785:Thailand
D000914:Antibodies, Viral