title: Natural history of viral markers in children infected with human T lymphotropic virus type I in Jamaica.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a longitudinal analysis of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) viral markers in 28 Jamaican mothers and their children, who were monitored for a median of 6.2 years after the birth of the children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HTLV-I provirus DNA load was measured using the Taqman system (PE Applied Biosystems). The HTLV-I antibody titer was determined using the Vironstika HTLV-I/II Microelisa System (Organon Teknika). The HTLV-I Tax-specific antibody titers were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Generalized estimating equations were used to describe the associations of exposure variables with sequentially measured levels of HTLV-I viral markers in children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HTLV-I antibody titer increased significantly up to 1 year after infection, reaching equilibrium at a median titer of 1 : 7,786. The prevalence of Tax-specific antibody reached 80% at 2 years after infection. The provirus load increased up to 2 years after infection, reaching equilibrium at a median of 6,695 copies/100,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The increase in the provirus load was significant only among children with eczema, but not among children without eczema.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The provirus loads in children increased for an additional year after their antibody titers had stabilized, possibly as a result of the expansion of HTLV-I-infected clones. This effect was significant only for children with eczema. Among HTLV-I-infected children, eczema may be a cutaneous marker of the risk of HTLV-I-associated diseases developing in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Viral Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. evm3@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Elizabeth Margaret
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Vanveldhuisen
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cranston
authors.forename: Barrie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hanchard
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Michie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hisada
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies