title: HTLV infection in HCV-antibody positive patients in Spain.
abstract: Since hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) share transmission routes, dual infection could be frequent. In Spain, HTLV underdiagnosis is highlighted by the high proportion of patients presenting either with tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) or adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) at first diagnosis. We examined whether the renewed efforts for expanding HCV testing may provide a sentinel population that might selectively be targeted to unveil asymptomatic HTLV carriers. The presence of anti-HTLV antibodies was examined in 3,838 consecutive individuals with reactive HCV serology attended during the last three years at 13 hospitals distributed across the Spanish geography. Overall 71% were male and the median age was 41-years old. Foreigners represented 9% of the study population. A total of 50 individuals (1.3%) were seroreactive for HTLV, being 30 confirmed as HTLV-2 and two as HTLV-1 (0.12%). The remaining 18 had indeterminate Western blot patterns. Most individuals with HTLV-2 and HTLV indeterminate serology were HIV-positive, former injection drug users and native Spaniards. In contrast, the two HTLV-1 infections were found in men coming from Brazil and the Dominican Republic, respectively. In summary, the overall prevalence of HTLV infection in individuals living in Spain seropositive for HCV is 1.3%, more than 10-fold greater than in general outclinics in Spain. However, immigrants from HTLV-1 endemic regions and former injection drug users with HTLV-2 infection are by far the major contributory groups in HCV patients. Therefore, testing for HTLV in newly diagnosed HCV individuals would not contribute much to improve late HTLV diagnosis in Spain.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Carlos III , Sinesio Delgado, 10 , Madrid, Spain , 28029.|Spain ; ana.trevino.rc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.affiliation: Hospital Conxo, Service of Microbiology, Santiago de Compostela, Spain ; antonio.aguilera.guirao@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.affiliation: , Hospital de Puerto Real, Service of Microbiology , CN IV, Km 665 , Cadiz, Spain , 11510 ; manuel.rodrigueziglesias@uca.es.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Hospital Insular, Service of Microbiology, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain ; maracelih@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Service of Microbiology, Zaragoza, Spain ; rbenito@salud.aragon.es.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.affiliation: Hospital Miguel Servet, Service of Microbiology , Pª isabel la catolica nº3 , Zaragoza, Spain , 50009 ; lroc@salud.aragon.es.
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roc
authors.affiliation: Hospital General de Eche, Infectious Diseases, Elche, Alicante, Spain ; jramosrincon@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Universitario, Service of Microbiology, Valladolid, Spain ; rortizdelejarazu@saludcastillayleon.es.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortíz de Lejarazu
authors.affiliation: Hospital Carlos III, Department of Infectious Diseases , Calle Sinesio Delgado, 10 , Madrid, Spain , 28029 ; evapoveda@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poveda
authors.affiliation: Centro Sanitario Sandoval , Calle Sandoval, 7 , Madrid, Spain , 28010 ; carmen.rodriguezma@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Centro Sanitario Sandoval, Madrid, Spain ; jorgedelromero@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Del Romero
authors.affiliation: Virgen del Rocio University Hospital, Seville, Spain ; sandube@cica.es.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calderon
authors.affiliation: Hospital Cristal-Piñor, Service of Microbiology, Orense, Spain ; juan.garcia.costa@sergas.es.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta del Hierro Majadahonda, 16370, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain ; silvia-818@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Requena
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario La Paz, 16268, Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Madrid, Spain ; vsoriano@dragonet.es.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.affiliation: Hospital Carlos III, Madrid, Madrid, Spain ; cmendoza.cdm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Mendoza