Natural history of viral markers in children infected with human T lymphotropic virus type I in Jamaica.
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.
Maloney
Elizabeth Margaret
EM
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
Yamano
Yoshihisa
Y
Vanveldhuisen
Paul C
PC
Sawada
Takashi
T
Kim
Norma
N
Cranston
Beverley
B
Hanchard
Barrie
B
Jacobson
Steven
S
Hisada
Michie
M
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
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies