title: HTLV-2b among HIV type 1-coinfected injecting drug users in Spain.
abstract: Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) infection is endemic in the American Indian population and Pygmy tribes in Africa. Nevertheless, HTLV-2 infection has been predominantly detected in U.S. and European injecting drug users (IDU). Noteworthy is that the HTLV-2a subtype is the main circulating variant in North America and Eastern Europe whereas the HTLV-2b subtype is mainly found in Western Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain where coinfection with HIV-1 is frequent. Twelve Spanish subjects infected with HTLV-2 were recruited for the study. All of them were IDUs coinfected with HIV-1. Molecular epidemiology was done by sequencing the LTR, env, and tax regions and by generating phylogenetic trees. The present study showed that all the sequences belonged to the HTLV-2b subtype and were closely related to other Spanish and Portuguese reported sequences, clearly differentiated from those belonging to the HTLV-2a subtype from Eastern Europe. Therefore, infection with HTLV-2b remains prevalent in Spain based on previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitario, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dronda
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallejo
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016355:Genes, pX; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013030:Spain; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins