title: Maternal proviral load and vertical transmission of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 in Guinea-Bissau.
abstract: The relative importance of routes of transmission of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in Guinea-Bissau is largely unknown; vertical transmission is thought to be important, but there are very few existing data. We aimed to examine factors associated with transmission in mothers and children in Guinea-Bissau, where HTLV-1 is endemic (prevalence of 5% in the adult population). A cross-sectional survey was performed among mothers and their children (aged <15 years) in a rural community in Guinea-Bissau. A questionnaire to identify risk factors for infection and a blood sample were obtained. HTLV-1 proviral load in peripheral blood was determined and PCR was performed to compare long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences in mother-child pairs. Fourteen out of 55 children (25%) of 31 HTLV-1-infected mothers were infected versus none of 70 children of 30 uninfected mothers. The only factor significantly associated with HTLV-1 infection in the child was the proviral load of the mother; the risk of infection increased significantly with the log(10) proviral load in the mother's peripheral blood (OR 5.5, 95% CI 2.1-14.6, per quartile), adjusted for weaning age and maternal income. HTLV-1 sequences of the LTR region obtained from mother-child pairs were identical within pairs but differed between the pairs. Vertical transmission plays an important role in HTLV-1 transmission in this community in Guinea-Bissau. The risk of transmission increases with the mother's proviral load in the peripheral blood. Identical sequences in mother-child pairs give additional support to the maternal source of the children's infection.
authors: Viral Diseases Program, Medical Research Council, Fajara, The Gambia and Erasmus Medical Centre, Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. c.vantienen@erasmusmc.nl
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: van Tienen
authors: Samuel J
authors: SJ
authors: McConkey
authors: Thushan I
authors: TI
authors: de Silva
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Cotten
authors: Steve
authors: S
authors: Kaye
authors: Ramu
authors: R
authors: Sarge-Njie
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: da Costa
authors: Nato
authors: N
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Parker
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Vincent
authors: Assan
authors: A
authors: Jaye
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Aaby
authors: Hilton
authors: H
authors: Whittle
authors: Maarten
authors: M
authors: Schim van der Loeff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies