title: The prevalence and significance of HTLV-I/II seroindeterminate Western blot patterns.
abstract: Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infects an estimated 15-20 million persons worldwide. A number of diseases have been associated with the virus including adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), HTLV-I uveitis, and HTLV-I-associated infective dermatitis. Once it was shown that there is an increased risk for developing HAM/TSP associated with blood transfusion, screening for HTLV-1 among blood banks was implemented in Japan, United States, France, and the Netherlands. This process includes detection by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) followed by a confirmatory Western blot (WB) in which recombinant proteins specific for HTLV-I Env glycoproteins are incorporated into WB strips. HTLV-I seropositive results are defined by the presence of antibodies against either gp46 or gp62/68 (both Env protein bands) and either p19, p24, or p53 (one of the gag bands). HTLV-II seropositivity is confirmed by the presence of rgp46-II. However, numerous cases have been documented in which serum samples are reactive by EIA, but an incomplete banding pattern is displayed by subsequent confirmatory WB. Although the significance of these HTLV-I/II seroindeterminates is unclear, it may suggest a much higher incidence of exposure to HTLV-I/II than previously estimated.
authors: Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. abramsan@mail.nih.gov
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Abrams
authors: Yoshimi
authors: Y
authors: Akahata
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015485:Deltaretrovirus Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015485:Deltaretrovirus Antigens; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; C055266:gp46 protein, Human T-cell leukemia virus type I