Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV‐1) Antibodies in Healthy Populations and Renal Transplanted Patients in the North‐East of Brazil

Abstract

The seroprevalence of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection was investigated in Brazilians (570): native inhabitants (298) and descendants from Japanese (272) living in Recife and its neighborhoods-North-east of Brazil. Furthermore, polytransfused renal transplanted patients (54) were also examined for the serological status to this virus. The seropositivity to HTLV-1, screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was low: 1.34% for the local population and 0.73% for the descendants from Japanese. However, the seropositivity for the renal transplanted patients was found to be 11.1%. This higher value suggests that this retrovirus infection seems to be of importance in this clinical condition.

Lymphotropic Viruses EBV, KSHV and HTLV in Latin America: Epidemiology and Associated Malignancies. A Literature-Based Study by the RIAL-CYTED

“…Second and third generation Japanese-Bolivians were 6% HTLV-1 positive, closer to the native Bolivian population. HTLV prevalence has also been addressed in Japanese immigrants in Brazil (1.8-6.8%) and their descendants (0.73%) [361,389,390]. See Table 5 for HTLV prevalence in other risk groups.…”

“…Multiple studies have addressed HTLV prevalence in Brazil and Argentina revealing regions of high endemicity. In the former, the highest prevalence was demonstrated in the North-North East region, in particular in Salvador de Bahia, ranging from 0.046% to 1.8% [ 303 , 306 , 308 , 309 , 310 , 312 , 313 , 319 , 320 , 356 , 357 , 358 , 359 , 360 , 361 , 362 , 363 , 364 , 365 , 366 ], with slightly higher prevalence in specific villages with African characteristics, such as Piaui (2.24%) [ 359 ], Taquarendi (3.85%), Junco (1.23%), Alegre (1.56%) [ 363 ] and Marajó Island (1–2.06%) [ 366 ]. In the South and South Eastern regions, HTLV prevalence ranged from 0.02% to 1.5% [ 302 , 303 , 305 , 318 , 321 , 322 , 358 , 367 , 368 , 369 , 370 ].…”

No Relationship between HTLV‐1 Infection and Filariasis—Serological Study on Patients with Filariasis in Recife, Brazil

“…Positive reactivity to HTLV-1-associated antigen in sera was commonly observed among people in endemic areas such as southern Japan, Caribbean islands and parts of Africa and South America (2, 3, 5, 10) but was rarely seen in non-endemic areas including some areas studied in Brazil, except in some high-risk infection groups (1,4,9,11).…”