Salvador (BA, Brazil) is an endemic area for human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in the general population has been estimated to be 1.76%. HTLV-1 carriers may develop a variety of diseases such as adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and infective dermatitis associated with HT...

The human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) proviral load remains the best surrogate marker for disease progression. Real-time PCR techniques have been developed for detection and quantification of cosmopolitan HTLV type 1a (HTLV-1a) and HTLV-2. Since a growing level of diversity in subtypes and genotypes is observed, we developed a multiplex quantitative PCR for simultaneous detection, genotyping, a...

When the human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) is integrated with the host cell genome (provirus), its proviral DNA is a replication marker. Proviral load appears to be an important factor in the development of diseases related to these retroviruses. In this study, a methodology for absolute quantification of the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 proviral load using real-time PCR was developed. Fifty-three bl...

Since human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated diseases are associated with a high HTLV-1 load, reducing this load may treat or prevent disease. However, despite in vitro evidence that certain nucleoside/nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are active against HTLV-1, in vivo results have been disappointing. We therefore assayed the sensitivity of HTLV-1 prim...

BACKGROUND Human T lymphotropic virus types 1 (HTLV-1) and 2 (HTLV-2) are frequent copathogens among individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The long-term effects of coinfection are unknown, and little information exists regarding how levels of HTLV-1/2 viral burden are affected by antiretroviral medications. METHODS Factors associated with HTLV-1/2 viral burden...

PURPOSE We conducted a longitudinal analysis of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) viral markers in 28 Jamaican mothers and their children, who were monitored for a median of 6.2 years after the birth of the children. METHODS The HTLV-I provirus DNA load was measured using the Taqman system (PE Applied Biosystems). The HTLV-I antibody titer was determined using the Vironstika HTLV-I/I...

BACKGROUND Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is a human retrovirus that causes HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL). A higher viral load in individuals with HTLV-1 infection increases their risk of developing HAM/TSP and ATL. Moreover, the high proviral load is associated with the clinical progression of HAM/TSP. Reduction...

BACKGROUND HTLV-2 infections are almost always asymptomatic, and diseases associated with the infection are rarely reported. Little information is available on the relationship between HTLV-2 proviral load and gender or expression of disease, especially among patients with HIV-1 co-infection. METHODS We studied 77 HTLV-2-infected subjects followed in our clinic for the last 9 years; 53 (69%) ...

To investigate candidate genes that influence the risk of HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), we analyzed 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter region. METHODS: 280 cases of HAM/TSP patients and 255 HTLV-I seropositive asymptomatic carriers (HCs) from Kagoshima, Japan were studied. All subjects gave written informed conse...

To investigate candidate genes that influence the risk of HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), we analyzed 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter region. METHODS: 280 cases of HAM/TSP patients and 255 HTLV-I seropositive asymptomatic carriers (HCs) from Kagoshima, Japan were studied. All subjects gave written informed conse...