Prevalence Ratio of HTLV-1 in Nursing Mothers From the State of Paraíba,Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was the first human retrovirus known as a direct causal agent of a malignant disease. The vertical route of HTLV transmission is the most frequent pathway of the virus contamination. This study was performed to determine the prevalence ratio of HTLV-1 infection among nursing women. From January 2004 to January 2005, blood samples from 1033 nursing mothers from Paraíba, Brazil were evaluated for HTLV antibodies by ELISA and HTLV-1 viral particles confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HTLV antibodies were detected in 7 women. The overall seroprevalence ratio was 0.68% and HTLV-1 viral sequences were confirmed by PCR in 2 women. These preliminary data suggest that HTLV screening should be introduced as a mandatory test before breastfeeding and breast milk donation in Paraíba, Brazil. Additionally, counseling programs would help reduce the prevalence ratio of HTLV-1 infected individuals in this Brazilian region. J Hum Lact. 24(3):289-292.

El Virus Linfotrópico Humano de Células T tipo 1 (HTLV-1) fue el primer retrovirus que se encontró como agente causal directo de una enfermedad maligna. La transmisión vertical del HTLV es la vía mas frecuente de contaminación. Este estudio determinó la proporción de prevalencia de infección por HTLV-1 en mujeres lactando. De enero del 2004 a enero del 2005, se tomaron muestras de sangre de 1,033 mujeres lactantes en Paraiba, Brasil para medir los anticuerpos de HTLV con pruebas de ELISA y partículas virales de HTLV-1 confirmadas por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR). Se detectaron anticuerpos de HTLV-1 en siete mujeres. La proporción de seroprevalencia fue de 0.68% y la secuencia viral de HTLV-1 se confirmó con PCR en dos mujeres. Estos datos preliminares sugieren que se debe introducir una prueba mandatoria antes de comenzar la lactancia y de donar leche en Paraiba-Brasil. Además un programa de conserjería puede ayudar a reducir la proporción de prevalencia de individuos infectados con el HTLV -1 en esta región de Brasil.

Keywords

HTLV-1/II infection breastfeeding infants nursing mothers

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Blattner WA , Pombo-de-Oliveira MS HTLV-1 and HTLV-1I. In: Merigan TC Jr, Barlett JG , Bolognesi D , eds. Textbook of AIDS in Medicine . 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins ; 1999:1003-1029.

Manns A. , Wilks RJ , Murphy EL , et al. A prospective study of transmission by transfusion of HTLV-1 and risk factors associated with seroconversion. Int J Cancer . 1992;51:886-891.

Kaplan JE , Khabbaz RF , Murphy EL , et al. Male-to-female transmission of HTLV-1 and II: association with viral load. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1996;12:193-201.

Lamounier JA , Moulin ZS , Xavier CC Recommendations for breastfeeding during maternal infections. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2004;80(5 Suppl):S181-S188.

Araújo Ade C. , Afonso CR , Schor D. , Andrada-Serpa MJA. Spastic paraparesis of obscure origin. A case control study of HTLV-1 positive and negative patients from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. J Neurol Sci. 1993;116:165-169.

Carvalho SMF , Pombo-de-Oliveira MS , Thuler LCS , et al. HTLV-1 and HTLV-1I infections in hematologic disorder patients, cancer patients, and healthy individuals from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1997;15:238-242.

Dos Santos JI , Lopes MA , Deliege-Vasconcelos E. , et al. Seroprevalence of HIV, HTLV-1/II and other perinatally-transmitted pathogens in Salvador, Bahia. Rev Inst Med Trop São Paulo. 1995;37:343-348.

Tajima K. , The T.-and B-Cell Malignancy Study Group and Coauthors. The 4th nation-wide study of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) in Japan: estimates of risk of ATL and its geographical and clinical features. Int J Cancer. 1990;45:237-243.

Vrielink H. , Reesink HW HTLV-1/II prevalence in different geographic locations. Transfus Med Rev. 2004;18:46-57.

10.

Galvão CB , Loures L. , Rodrigues S. , et al. Distribution of human T-lymphotropic virus type I among blood donors: a nationwide Brazilian study. Transfusion. 1997;37:242-243.

11.

Catalan-Soares B. , Carneiro-Proietti ABF , Proietti FA Heterogeneous geographic distribution of human T-cell lymphotropic viruses I and II (HTLV-I/II): serological screening prevalence rates in blood donors from large urban areas in Brazil. Cad Saúde Pública. 2005;21:926-931.

12.

Kashima S. , Alcantara LC , Takayanagui OM , et al. Distribution of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) subtypes in Brazil: genetic characterization of LTR and tax region. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2006;22:953-959.

13.

Sakurai H. , Kondo N. , Ishiguro N. , et al. Molecular analysis of a HTLV-1 pX defective human adult T-cell leukemia. Leuk Res. 1992;16:941-946.

14.

Wiktor SZ , Pate EJ , Rosenberg PS , et al. Mother-to-child transmission of human T lymphotropic virus type I associated with prolonged breastfeeding. J Hum Virol. 1997;1:37-44.

15.

Pombo de Oliveira MS , Loureiro P. , Bittencourt A. , et al. Geographic diversity of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in Brazil. Int J Cancer . 1999;83:291-298.

16.

Pombo-de-Oliveira MS , Carvalho SM , Borducchi D. , et al. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and cluster of HTLV-1 associated diseases in Brazilian settings . Leuk Lymphoma. 2001;42:135-144.

17.

Pombo-de-Oliveira MS , Dobin JA , Loureiro P. , et al. Genetic mutation and early onset of T-cell leukemia in pediatric patients infected at birth with HTLV-1. Leuk Res. 2002;26:155-161.

18.

Ando Y. , Matsumoto Y. , Nakano S. , et al. Long-term follow up study of vertical HTLV-1 infection in children breast-fed by seropositive mothers. J Infect. 2003;46:177-179.

19.

Kashiwagi K. , Furusyo N. , Nakashima H. , et al. A decrease in mother-to-child transmission of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) in Okinawa, Japan. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2004 ;70:158-163.

20.

Takezaki T. , Tajima K. , Ito M. , et al. Short-term breast-feeding may reduce the risk of vertical transmission of HTLV-1. The Tsushima ATL Study Group . Leukemia. 1997;11:S60-S62.

21.

Victora CG , Morris SS , Barros FC , Horta BL , Weiderpass E. , Tomasi E. Breast-feeding and growth in Brazilian infants. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998; 67:452-458.

22.

Maia PR , Novak FR , Almeida JA , Silva DA The management strategy of the Brazilian National Network of Human Milk Banks . Cad Saúde Pública. 2004;20:1700-1708.

23.

Proietti FA , Carneiro-Proietti AB , Catalan-Soares BC , Murphy EL Global epidemiology of HTLV-1 infection. Oncogene. 2005;24:6058-6068.