title: Can the level of immunosuppression in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients affect the reliability of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 2 serological diagnosis?
abstract: A total of 175 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive intravenous drug users (IDU) with CD4 cell counts of <200 cells/microl were matched with 175 HIV-positive IDU with CD4 cell counts of >500 cells/microl. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) reactivity and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) Western blot (WB) positivity were more frequently observed in subjects with CD4 cell counts of >500 cells/microl. Most of the subjects with low CD4 cell counts and EIA reactivity carried HTLV-2 infection (WB positive and/or PCR positive). No subjects with low CD4 cell counts and a lack of reactive EIA were PCR positive for HTLV-2. Therefore, a negative EIA result can confidently discharge HTLV-2 infection in HIV-infected patients with severe immunosuppression, whereas PCR should be performed for subjects with a reactive HTLV EIA which is not further confirmed by WB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III, Calle Sinesio Delgado 10, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sylvina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bassani
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodés
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens