title: [Human T-lymphotropic virus I/II detection in Chilean patients from Sexually Transmitted Diseases clinics].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The human T-lymphotropic virus I (HTLV-I) causes spastic para-paresis and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. It can be sexually transmitted and is highly prevalent in Central and South America.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study HTLV-I/IIprevalence in serum samples obtained from two Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred serum samples were randomly chosen from two reference STD centers of Santiago. The presence of specific HTLV I/II antibodies was detected by indirect immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analyzed samples came from participants aged 14 to 70 years. Forty nine percent were women and 76% were heterosexual. Only one of the 200 samples was positive (0.5%) and it came from a 70 year-old woman, housewife, with a stable single partner, a history of recurrent genital ulcers, VDRL (-) and positive serology for herpes simplex virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HTLV-I found in this group is similar to that demonstrated in other populations in Chile, except for aboriginal populations, and similar to international STD studies. Our data is consistent with the low transmissibility by sexual contact.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Virología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sanhueza
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Navarrete
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santander
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garmendia
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology