       Document 0628
 DOCN  M9650628
 TI    Geographical clustering of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1
       infection in Honduras.
 DT    9605
 AU    de Rivera IL; Amador L; Mourra S; Li Z; Rasheed S; Laboratory of Viral
       Oncology and AIDS Research, University of; Southern California, School
       of Medicine, Los Angeles 90032, USA.
 SO    J Clin Microbiol. 1995 Nov;33(11):2999-3003. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/96121256
 AB    Geographical clustering of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1
       (HTLV-1) infection has been identified in the nonmestizo communities in
       several cities along the Atlantic coast of Honduras. Of the 2,651 serum
       samples tested, 122 samples were repeatedly reactive for HTLV-1
       antibodies in two different enzyme immunoassays and 3 were
       indeterminate. These sera did not react in the HTLV-2-specific antibody
       tests. The presence of HTLV-1 antibodies was confirmed by HTLV-1
       immunoblots or Western blots (immunoblots), and the infection was
       verified by the detection of HTLV-1-specific genetic sequences in the
       cellular DNA by PCR. Genomic DNA from the peripheral blood mononuclear
       cells was first tested with generic primers and probes that identified
       both HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Next, all DNA samples that showed HTLV
       reactivity were tested by PCR with specific primers and probes that
       distinguished HTLV-1 sequences from those of HTLV-2. Our results
       indicate that only HTLV-1 infection was present in the blood of both
       mestizo and nonmestizo residents of 15 cities in the Republic of
       Honduras. The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in the nonmestizo
       population was 8.1% (95% confidence limit, 6.6 to 9.7%). The mestizo
       population residing in the same geographical vicinities showed a HTLV-1
       antibodies in 0.5% of serum samples tested (95% confidence limit, 0.6 to
       1.7%), indicating a significantly greater prevalence of HTLV-1 infection
       in the nonmestizo population than in the mestizo ethnic groups living in
       Honduras (P = 0.0001). Since no HTLV-2 antibody reactivity or
       HTLV-2-specific genetic sequences were detected by PCR with different
       primers and probes, it was concluded that HTLV-2 infection was not
       present in the Honduran population groups we tested. Our study also
       suggested an endemic nature for this virus because there was no
       difference in the prevalence rate of HTLV-1 antibodies in the nonmestizo
       community living in the coastal towns of Honduras between 1989 and 1993.
       This is the first report of HTLV-1 cluster identification in Honduras,
       Central America.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Child  Child, Preschool  Cluster Analysis  Female
       Honduras/ETHNOLOGY/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Human  HTLV-I Antibodies/BLOOD  HTLV-I
       Infections/*EPIDEMIOLOGY  Immunoenzyme Techniques  Male  Polymerase
       Chain Reaction  Prevalence  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  Support, U.S.
       Gov't, P.H.S.  Urban Population  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

