A case-control study of risk factors associated with human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-I seropositivity in blood donors from Guadeloupe, French West Indies.
OBJECTIVE
An age- and gender-specific distribution characterizes human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-I (HTLV-I) seropositivity in Guadeloupe (French West Indies). Further epidemiological studies are required to identify other possible risk factors associated with this retroviral infection.


METHODS
A nested case-control study was conducted between 1997 and 1999 among blood donors. A total of 102 HTLV-I-positive subjects were matched (at a ratio of 1 : 3) by gender, age (+/-5 years) and donor status (new or regular) to 306 HTLV-I-negative controls. Information was obtained through a questionnaire assessing both environmental and behavioural variables.


RESULTS
Factors independently associated with HTLV-I infection included a low level of education [odds ratio (OR) 6.61, confidence interval (CI) 2.89-15.15], black ethnicity (OR 3.28, CI 1.01-10.65), two or more sex partners in the previous 3 years (OR 2.43, CI 1.16-5.10), early age at first sexual intercourse (0.84 risk reduction per additional year, CI 0.76-0.93), a history of sexually transmitted diseases (OR 2.29, CI 1.0-5.34) and positive Chlamydia serology (OR 1.95, CI 1.03-3.68).


CONCLUSIONS
These data provide a wide spectrum of features associated with HTLV-I seropositivity, especially sexual risk factors. It strongly suggests that heterosexual intercourse is an important route of HTLV-I transmission in Guadeloupe, even among low-risk populations such as blood donors.
Rouet
F
F
Etablissement Français du Sang, C.H.U. de Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France. pacci@aviso.ci
Herrmann-Storck
C
C
Courouble
G
G
Deloumeaux
J
J
Madani
D
D
Strobel
M
M
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014900:West Indies