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Ramesh N, Cockbain B, Taylor GP, Rosadas C. How do socioeconomic determinants of health affect the likelihood of living with HTLV-1 globally? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1298308. [PMID: 38327581 PMCID: PMC10848500 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1298308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human T Lymphotropic Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a neglected retrovirus associated with many clinical disorders, most notably Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma and HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy (HAM). Found in endemic clusters across the world, high prevalence has been reported in minoritized groups who suffer from health inequities. This study investigates the association between HTLV-1 prevalence and the following socioeconomic determinants of health: education, income, and employment, which are markers of health inequity. Methods A systematic review was conducted by searching the following databases: Ovid/Medline, Embase, Global Health Database, Web of Science, LILACS and SciELO. Primary studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese mentioning HTLV-1 and one of education, income and/or employment were included. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, and odds ratios (OR) were calculated to determine the association between these socioeconomic determinants of health and HTLV-1 prevalence. Results 42 studies were included. The likelihood of having HTLV-1 was higher in individuals with less than completed primary education compared to those who completed primary education (OR 1.86 [95% CI 1.34-2.57]; p < 0.01). This may be because individuals with low education have reduced access to and understanding of health information, thus increasing the prevalence of risk factors associated with HTLV-1 infection. No other determinants were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion Fewer years of schooling are associated with increased likelihood of contracting HTLV-1. Therefore, health promotion materials and public health policies regarding HTLV-1 must consider those with lower educational levels to effectively reduce disease transmission. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=335004, identifier (CRD42022335004).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nydile Ramesh
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Beatrice Cockbain
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham P. Taylor
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Centre for Human Retrovirology, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carolina Rosadas
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Kuramitsu M, Momose H, Uchida Y, Ishitsuka K, Kubota R, Tokunaga M, Utsunomiya A, Umekita K, Hashikura Y, Nosaka K, Koh KR, Nakamura H, Sagara Y, Sobata R, Satake M, Nagata K, Hasegawa Y, Sasaki D, Hasegawa H, Sato T, Yamano Y, Hiraga K, Tezuka K, Ikebe E, Matsuoka S, Okuma K, Watanabe T, Miura K, Hamaguchi I. Performance evaluation of Espline HTLV-I/II, a newly developed rapid immunochromatographic antibody test for different diagnostic situations. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0207823. [PMID: 37966220 PMCID: PMC10715220 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02078-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The World Health Organization estimated that 5-10 million people are infected with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). This number is likely to be underestimated because reliable endemic data are available for only approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide. The point-of-care test is a powerful tool for the easy and quick detection of infections without the requirement for expensive instruments and laboratory equipment. Espline HTLV-I/II, a newly developed rapid immunochromatographic antibody test that was evaluated in this study, might significantly advance our understanding of the global epidemiology of HTLV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madoka Kuramitsu
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruka Momose
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Uchida
- Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Ishitsuka
- Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Ryuji Kubota
- Division of Neuroimmunology, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Masahito Tokunaga
- Department of Hematology, Imamura General Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Atae Utsunomiya
- Department of Hematology, Imamura General Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Umekita
- Division of Respirology, Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases and Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University of Miyazaki Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Yuuki Hashikura
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University of Miyazaki Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Kisato Nosaka
- Cancer Center, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Ki-Ryang Koh
- Department of Hematology, Osaka General Hospital of West Japan Railway Company, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hitomi Nakamura
- Japanese Red Cross Kyushu Block Blood Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuko Sagara
- Japanese Red Cross Kyushu Block Blood Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Rieko Sobata
- Central Blood Institute, Blood Service Headquarters, Japanese Red Cross Society, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Satake
- Central Blood Institute, Blood Service Headquarters, Japanese Red Cross Society, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koh Nagata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yuri Hasegawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sasaki
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hiroo Hasegawa
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tomoo Sato
- Department of Neurology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Rare Diseases Research, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Yamano
- Department of Neurology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Rare Diseases Research, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kou Hiraga
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenta Tezuka
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emi Ikebe
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sahoko Matsuoka
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazu Okuma
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshiki Watanabe
- Laboratory of Practical Management of Medical Information, Graduate School of Medicine, St. Marianna University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kiyonori Miura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Isao Hamaguchi
- Research Center for Biological Products in the Next Generation, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Subaru Health Insurance Society Ota Memorial Hospital, Gunma, Japan
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3
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Sampaio GCL, Ribeiro JR, de Almeida CN, Boa-Sorte N, Galvão-Castro B, Grassi MFR, Nunes Sá K, Dias CMCC. Human T Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Global Prevalence Associated with the Human Development Index: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2023; 39:145-165. [PMID: 36571250 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2021.0230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2012, the number of people infected with human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was estimated to be 10 million worldwide. Prevalence varies according to geographic location, ethnic factors, sex, age, populations exposed to risk factors, income, and education, reaching countries with the worst socioeconomic scenarios. There is a need to determine the current global prevalence of HTLV-1 and examine its association with countries' human development index (HDI) to provide data for global health policy. Systematic review with meta-analysis is according to PRISMA 2020 recommendations. It was registered at PROSPERO, CRD42021223146. Prevalence or cross-sectional studies of HTLV-1 infection with at least 100 participants, screening, and confirmatory serologic testing were included. Studies with incomplete or unavailable results or with duplicate information were excluded. Data were selected by two independent investigators and analyzed using R software, a metapackage that generated the forest plots [95% confidence interval (CI)]. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic, and funnel plot asymmetry was assessed using Egger's test. Countries were compared using an HDI cutoff ≥0.8. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) criteria. The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was 0.91% (95% CI: 0.80-1.02, p < .0001) and was higher in low HDI countries [1.18% (95% CI: 1.03-1.34)] than in high HDI countries [0.41% (95% CI: 0.27-0.57)]. Prevalence varied according to the populations studied: it was higher in the general population [1.65% (95% CI: 1.08-2.34)] compared to pregnant women [0.34% (95% CI: 0.17-0.57)] and blood donors [0.04% (95% CI: 0.01-0.08)]. Consistently, prevalence for each population group was higher in low HDI countries than in high HDI countries. The worldwide prevalence of HTLV-1 infection is highly heterogeneous, with a global prevalence of 0.91%. In high HDI countries, the observed prevalence is approximately three times lower than in low HDI countries. In the general population, the observed prevalence is about 5 times higher than in pregnant women and 41 times higher than in blood donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleice Castor Lins Sampaio
- Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Department, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Ramos Ribeiro
- Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Department, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Ney Boa-Sorte
- Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Department, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil.,Health Technology Assessment Unit, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Bahia, Brazil
| | - Bernardo Galvão-Castro
- Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Department, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil.,Advanced Public Health Laboratory, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda Rios Grassi
- Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Department, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil.,Advanced Public Health Laboratory, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Katia Nunes Sá
- Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Department, Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Bahia, Brazil
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Gessain A, Ramassamy JL, Afonso PV, Cassar O. Geographic distribution, clinical epidemiology and genetic diversity of the human oncogenic retrovirus HTLV-1 in Africa, the world's largest endemic area. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1043600. [PMID: 36817417 PMCID: PMC9935834 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1043600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The African continent is considered the largest high endemic area for the oncogenic retrovirus HTLV-1 with an estimated two to five million infected individuals. However, data on epidemiological aspects, in particular prevalence, risk factors and geographical distribution, are still very limited for many regions: on the one hand, few large-scale and representative studies have been performed and, on the other hand, many studies do not include confirmatory tests, resulting in indeterminate serological results, and a likely overestimation of HTLV-1 seroprevalence. For this review, we included the most robust studies published since 1984 on the prevalence of HTLV-1 and the two major diseases associated with this infection in people living in Africa and the Indian Ocean islands: adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP). We also considered most of the book chapters and abstracts published at the 20 international conferences on HTLV and related viruses held since 1985, as well as the results of recent meta-analyses regarding the status of HTLV-1 in West and sub-Saharan Africa. Based on this bibliography, it appears that HTLV-1 distribution is very heterogeneous in Africa: The highest prevalences of HTLV-1 are reported in western, central and southern Africa, while eastern and northern Africa show lower prevalences. In highly endemic areas, the HTLV-1 prevalence in the adult population ranges from 0.3 to 3%, increases with age, and is highest among women. In rural areas of Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), HTLV-1 prevalence can reach up to 10-25% in elder women. HTLV-1-associated diseases in African patients have rarely been reported in situ on hospital wards, by local physicians. With the exception of the Republic of South Africa, DRC and Senegal, most reports on ATL and HAM/TSP in African patients have been published by European and American clinicians and involve immigrants or medical returnees to Europe (France and the UK) and the United States. There is clearly a huge underreporting of these diseases on the African continent. The genetic diversity of HTLV-1 is greatest in Africa, where six distinct genotypes (a, b, d, e, f, g) have been identified. The most frequent genotype in central Africa is genotype b. The other genotypes found in central Africa (d, e, f and g) are very rare. The vast majority of HTLV-1 strains from West and North Africa belong to genotype a, the so-called 'Cosmopolitan' genotype. These strains form five clades roughly reflecting the geographic origin of the infected individuals. We have recently shown that some of these clades are the result of recombination between a-WA and a-NA strains. Almost all sequences from southern Africa belong to Transcontinental a-genotype subgroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Gessain
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Paris, France
| | - Jill-Léa Ramassamy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Paris, France
| | - Philippe V Afonso
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Cassar
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Paris, France
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5
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Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1-Related Diseases May Constitute a Threat to the Elimination of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, by 2030, in Gabon, Central Africa. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122808. [PMID: 36560812 PMCID: PMC9785256 DOI: 10.3390/v14122808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. Several factors related to the non-suppression of HIV, including interruptions of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and opportunistic infections could affect and delay this projected epidemic goal. Human T-Cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) appears to be consistently associated with a high risk of opportunistic infections, an early onset of HTLV-1 and its associated pathologies, as well as a fast progression to the AIDS phase in co-infected individuals, when compared to HIV-1 or HTLV-1 mono-infected individuals. In Gabon, the prevalence of these two retroviruses is very high and little is known about HTLV-1 and the associated pathologies, leaving most of them underdiagnosed. Hence, HTLV-1/HIV-1 co-infections could simultaneously imply a non-diagnosis of HIV-1 positive individuals having developed pathologies associated with HTLV-1, but also a high mortality rate among the co-infected individuals. All of these constitute potential obstacles to pursue targeted objectives. A systematic review was conducted to assess the negative impacts of HTLV-1/HIV-1 co-infections and related factors on the elimination of HIV/AIDS by 2030 in Gabon.
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6
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Ramassamy JL, Ndongo CB, Nnuka P, Antunes M, Mener ML, A Betsem EB, Njouom R, Cassar O, Fontanet A, Gessain A. Epidemiological evidence of nosocomial and zoonotic transmission of HTLV-1 in a large survey in rural population of central Africa. J Infect Dis 2022; 227:752-760. [PMID: 35867855 PMCID: PMC10043981 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central Africa is one of the largest areas of high endemicity for human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV-1). However, no preventive measures are yet implemented to reduce its transmission, which can be sexual, from mother-to-child, or through contaminated blood products. Rare zoonotic transmissions from non-human primates (NHPs) have also been reported in this region. Here, we investigated the HTLV-1 prevalence and associated risk factors in a rural population in Cameroon. METHODS From 2019 to 2021, we performed a cross-sectional survey in the Eastern region of Cameroon. HTLV-1 infection was first screened by ELISA, then tested by Western blot and envelope gene targeted polymerase chain reaction. Risk factors associated with HTLV-1 infection were identified by logistic regression on univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS Among 3,400 participants, HTLV-1 prevalence was 1.1% (95%CI 0.7-1.5). Factors independently associated with HTLV-1 infection were: Pygmy ethnicity (adjusted odd ratio ORa, 2.9, 95%CI 1.3-6.2), history of surgery (ORa 6.3, 95%CI 2.2-17.8) and NHP bite (ORa 6.6, 95%CI 2.2-19.8). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest both iatrogenic and zoonotic transmission of HTLV-1 in Cameroon. Further studies are needed to assess the risk of nosocomial transmission of HTLV-1, to guide public health authorities in implementing preventive measures to control HTLV-1 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Léa Ramassamy
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, 28 Rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Chanceline Bilounga Ndongo
- Direction de la Lutte contre la Maladie, les Epidémies et les Pandémies. Ministère de la Santé Publique, Yaoundé, Cameroun.,Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences Pharmaceutiques de l'Université de Douala, Douala, Cameroun
| | - Patrick Nnuka
- Direction de la Lutte contre la Maladie, les Epidémies et les Pandémies. Ministère de la Santé Publique, Yaoundé, Cameroun
| | - Maëlle Antunes
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, 28 Rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Margot Le Mener
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, 28 Rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | | | - Richard Njouom
- Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Unité de Virologie, Yaoundé, Cameroun
| | - Olivier Cassar
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, 28 Rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Fontanet
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Recherche et d'Expertise Epidémiologie des Maladies Emergentes, 28 Rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France.,Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Unité PACRI, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Gessain
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3569, 28 Rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
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7
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Mouinga-Ondémé A, Boundenga L, Koumba Koumba IP, Idam Mamimandjiami A, Diané A, Engone-Ondo JD, Djuicy DD, Sica J, Mombo LE, Gessain A, Aghokeng Fobang A. Human T-Lymphotropic virus type 1 and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection in rural Gabon. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271320. [PMID: 35867643 PMCID: PMC9307203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) co-infection occur in many populations. People living with HIV-1 and infected with HTLV-1 seem more likely to progress rapidly towards AIDS. Both HTLV-1 and HIV-1 are endemic in Gabon (Central Africa). We investigated HTLV-1 and HIV-1 co-infection in the Haut-Ogooué province, and assessed factors that may favor the rapid evolution and progression to AIDS in co-infected patients. Methods Plasma samples from HTLV-1 patients were tested using ELISA, and positive samples were then tested by western blot assay (WB). We used the polymerase chain reaction to detect HTLV-1 Tax/Rex genes using DNA extracted from the buffy coat of ELISA-positives samples. Results We recruited 299 individuals (mean age 46 years) including 90 (30%) men and 209 (70%) women, all of whom are under treatment at the Ambulatory Treatment Centre of the province. Of these, 45 were ELISA HTLV-1/2 seropositive. According to WB criteria, 21 of 45 were confirmed positive: 20 were HTLV-1 (44%), 1 was HTLV-1/2 (2%), 2 were indeterminate (4%) and 22 were seronegative (49%). PCR results showed that 23 individuals were positive for the Tax/Rex region. Considering both serological and molecular assays, the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was estimated at 7.7%. Being a woman and increasing age were found to be independent risk factors for co-infection. Mean CD4+ cell counts were higher in HTLV-1/HIV-1 co-infected (578.1 (± 340.8) cells/mm3) than in HIV-1 mono-infected (481.0 (± 299.0) cells/mm3) Individuals. Similarly, the mean HIV-1 viral load was Log 3.0 (± 1.6) copies/ml in mono-infected and Log 2.3 (± 0.7) copies/ml in coinfected individuals. Conclusion We described an overall high prevalence of HTLV-1/HIV-1 co-infection in Gabon. Our findings stress the need of strategies to prevent and manage these co-infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustin Mouinga-Ondémé
- Unité des Infections Rétrovirales et Pathologies Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- * E-mail:
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Groupe Evolution et Transmission Inter-espèces des Pathogènes (GETIP), Département de Parasitologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid Précilya Koumba Koumba
- Unité des Infections Rétrovirales et Pathologies Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (LABMC), Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Antony Idam Mamimandjiami
- Unité des Infections Rétrovirales et Pathologies Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Abdoulaye Diané
- Unité des Infections Rétrovirales et Pathologies Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Jéordy Dimitri Engone-Ondo
- Unité des Infections Rétrovirales et Pathologies Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Delia Doreen Djuicy
- Unité des Infections Rétrovirales et Pathologies Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Jeanne Sica
- Centre de Traitement Ambulatoire, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Landry Erik Mombo
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (LABMC), Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Antoine Gessain
- Unité d’Epidémiologie et de Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes (EPVO), et CNRS UMR3569, Institut Pasteur de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Avelin Aghokeng Fobang
- Unité Mixte de Recherche sur le VIH et les Maladies Infectieuses Associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD – Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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8
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Clinical and Public Health Implications of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Infection. Clin Microbiol Rev 2022; 35:e0007821. [PMID: 35195446 PMCID: PMC8941934 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00078-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is estimated to affect 5 to 10 million people globally and can cause severe and potentially fatal disease, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The burden of HTLV-1 infection appears to be geographically concentrated, with high prevalence in discrete regions and populations. While most high-income countries have introduced HTLV-1 screening of blood donations, few other public health measures have been implemented to prevent infection or its consequences. Recent advocacy from concerned researchers, clinicians, and community members has emphasized the potential for improved prevention and management of HTLV-1 infection. Despite all that has been learned in the 4 decades following the discovery of HTLV-1, gaps in knowledge across clinical and public health aspects persist, impeding optimal control and prevention, as well as the development of policies and guidelines. Awareness of HTLV-1 among health care providers, communities, and affected individuals remains limited, even in countries of endemicity. This review provides a comprehensive overview on HTLV-1 epidemiology and on clinical and public health and highlights key areas for further research and collaboration to advance the health of people with and at risk of HTLV-1 infection.
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Einsiedel L, Pham H, Talukder MR, Taylor K, Wilson K, Kaldor J, Gessain A, Woodman R. Very high prevalence of infection with the human T cell leukaemia virus type 1c in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: Results of a large cross-sectional community survey. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009915. [PMID: 34879069 PMCID: PMC8654171 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with the human T cell leukaemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) subtype C is endemic among Aboriginal people in central Australia. To provide insights into the risk factors for transmission, we conducted the first large-scale, community-based prevalence study in seven remote Aboriginal communities. Residents >2 years old were invited to participate in the study between August 2014 and June 2018. HTLV-1 infection was defined as a positive western blot (WB) test or a positive HTLV-1 PCR. 720 community residents participated in the study (children <15 years, 142; adults, 578). Prevalences for children and adults were 3.5% (5/142) and 36.8% (213/578), respectively, reaching 49.3% (106/215) for those older than 45 years. A wide range of proviral loads were measured for both asymptomatic and symptomatic participants with no difference within groups according to age or gender; however, median PVL was 1.34 log10 higher for symptomatic participants. The adult prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in central Australia is the highest reported worldwide. Sexual contact is likely to be the predominant mode of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lloyd Einsiedel
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Hai Pham
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
| | | | - Kerry Taylor
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Wellbeing, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Kim Wilson
- National Serology Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John Kaldor
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Dangana A, Abdullahi IN, Billyrose OMA, Emeribe AU, Abu JM, Anka AU, Animasaun OS, Ghamba PE. Sero-epidemiology of human T-cell lymphotropic viruses-1 and -2 infection among pregnant women attending Abuja Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Hum Antibodies 2021; 29:101-108. [PMID: 33523048 DOI: 10.3233/hab-200435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is the paucity of HTLV-1/-2 studies on Nigerian pregnant women despite the medical and public health significance of maternal-to-child transmission of HTLV-1/-2. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of HTLV-1/-2 infections among pregnant women attending the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Abuja, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood samples were collected from consented pregnant women and analysed for ant-HTLV-1/-2 total antibodies using a commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Pretested structured questionnaires were used to collate participants' socio-demographic variables and risk factors of HTLV infection. RESULTS Out of the 156 pregnant women tested for HTLV-1/-2 antibodies, 16 (10.3%) were seropositive. There was no significant association between the socio-demographic variables collated and seroprevalence of HTLV-1/-2 infection among pregnant women (p> 0.05). Pregnant women with HIV infection had a lower prevalence of HLTV-1/-2 infection than those without HIV infections (7.5% versus 11.7%). Pregnant women with multiple sexual partners had a higher risk of HTLV-1/-2 infection than those who had single (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 0.53-8.18). Women with a history of needles injury had a higher risk of HTLV-1/-2 infection than those who do not (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.38-4.08). The history of blood transfusion was significantly associated with HTLV-1/-2 infection (p= 0.027). However, no significant association existed between other risk factors of HTLV-1/-2 infection among pregnant women (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION Considering the 3% pooled national prevalence of HTLV-1/-2 infection in Nigeria, the seroprevalence reported in this study is relatively high. Thus, there is a need for more large cohort studies and routine screening of population at increased risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos Dangana
- Department of Medical Laboratory Services, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Idris Nasir Abdullahi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | | | - Anthony Uchenna Emeribe
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Joel Monday Abu
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Abubakar Umar Anka
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Olawale Sunday Animasaun
- Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, African Field Epidemiology Network, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Peter Elisha Ghamba
- WHO National Polio Laboratory, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria
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11
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Halbrook M, Gadoth A, Shankar A, Zheng H, Campbell EM, Hoff NA, Muyembe JJ, Wemakoy EO, Rimoin AW, Switzer WM. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 transmission dynamics in rural villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with high nonhuman primate exposure. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0008923. [PMID: 33507996 PMCID: PMC7872225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a history of nonhuman primate (NHP) consumption and exposure to simian retroviruses yet little is known about the extent of zoonotic simian retroviral infections in DRC. We examined the prevalence of human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV), a retrovirus group of simian origin, in a large population of persons with frequent NHP exposures and a history of simian foamy virus infection. We screened plasma from 3,051 persons living in rural villages in central DRC using HTLV EIA and western blot (WB). PCR amplification of HTLV tax and LTR sequences from buffy coat DNA was used to confirm infection and to measure proviral loads (pVLs). We used phylogenetic analyses of LTR sequences to infer evolutionary histories and potential transmission clusters. Questionnaire data was analyzed in conjunction with serological and molecular data. A relatively high proportion of the study population (5.4%, n = 165) were WB seropositive: 128 HTLV-1-like, 3 HTLV-2-like, and 34 HTLV-positive but untypeable profiles. 85 persons had HTLV indeterminate WB profiles. HTLV seroreactivity was higher in females, wives, heads of households, and increased with age. HTLV-1 LTR sequences from 109 persons clustered strongly with HTLV-1 and STLV-1 subtype B from humans and simians from DRC, with most sequences more closely related to STLV-1 from Allenopithecus nigroviridis (Allen's swamp monkey). While 18 potential transmission clusters were identified, most were in different households, villages, and health zones. Three HTLV-1-infected persons were co-infected with simian foamy virus. The mean and median percentage of HTLV-1 pVLs were 5.72% and 1.53%, respectively, but were not associated with age, NHP exposure, village, or gender. We document high HTLV prevalence in DRC likely originating from STLV-1. We demonstrate regional spread of HTLV-1 in DRC with pVLs reported to be associated with HTLV disease, supporting local and national public health measures to prevent spread and morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Halbrook
- University of California Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Adva Gadoth
- University of California Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Anupama Shankar
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - HaoQiang Zheng
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ellsworth M. Campbell
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nicole A. Hoff
- University of California Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jean-Jacques Muyembe
- Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Emile Okitolonda Wemakoy
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Anne W. Rimoin
- University of California Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AWR); (WMS)
| | - William M. Switzer
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AWR); (WMS)
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12
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Cassar O, Desrames A, Marçais A, Gout O, Taylor GP, Hermine O, Soriano V, Mendoza CD, Dehan O, Mener ML, Afonso PV, Gessain A. Multiple recombinant events in human T-cell Leukemia virus Type 1: complete sequences of recombinant African strains. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020; 9:913-923. [PMID: 32249692 PMCID: PMC7269087 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1752117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Africa is the largest endemic area for HTLV-1, with many molecular genotypes. We previously demonstrated that some strains from North Africa (a-NA clade) originated from a recombinant event between Senegalese and West African strains. A series of 52 new HTLV-1 strains from 13 North and West African countries were sequenced in the LTR region and/or a env gene fragment. Four samples from French Guyanese of African origin were also added. Furthermore, 7 complete sequences from different genotypes were characterized. Phylogenetic analyses showed that most of the new African strains belong to the Cosmopolitan a-genotype. Ten new strains from the a-NA clade were found in Morocco, Western Sahara, Mali, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. A new a-G-Rec clade, which arose from a distinct recombination event between Senegalese and West African strains, was identified in Guinea and Ghana. The complete sequences suggest that recombination occur in the LTR as well as the env/pol region of the genome, thus a-NA and a-G-Rec strains have a mosaic profile with genetic segments from either a-WA or a-Sen strains. Our work demonstrates that recombination in HTLV-1 may not be as rare an event as previously proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Cassar
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Desrames
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Ambroise Marçais
- Service d'Hématologie, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Gout
- Département de Neurologie, Fondation Rothschild, Paris, France
| | - Graham P Taylor
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olivier Hermine
- Service d'Hématologie, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Vicente Soriano
- UNIR Health Sciences School and Medical Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen de Mendoza
- Internal Medicine Laboratory Puerta de Hierro Research Institute, University Hospital Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Océane Dehan
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Margot Le Mener
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Philippe V Afonso
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Gessain
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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13
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Rosadas C, Assone T, Yamashita M, Adonis A, Puccioni-Sohler M, Santos M, Paiva A, Casseb J, Oliveira ACP, Taylor GP. Health state utility values in people living with HTLV-1 and in patients with HAM/TSP: The impact of a neglected disease on the quality of life. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008761. [PMID: 33064742 PMCID: PMC7592910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HTLV-1 is a neglected sexually transmitted infection despite being the cause of disabling neurological disease HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). There is no treatment for this infection and public health policies are essential to reduce its transmission. However, there are no data to support adequate cost-effective analysis in this field. The aim of this study was to obtain health state utility values for individuals with HAM/TSP and HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers (AC). The impact of both states on quality of life (QoL) is described and compared to other diseases. METHODS A cross-sectional observational study of 141 individuals infected with HTLV-1 (79 with HAM/TSP and 62 AC) from three Brazilian states (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Alagoas) and from the United Kingdom. Participants completed a validated general health questionnaire (EQ-5D, Euroqol) from which country specific health state utility values are generated. Clinical and epidemiological data were collated. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Health state utility value for HAM/TSP was 0.2991. QoL for 130 reported clinical conditions ranges from 0.35 to 0.847. 12% reported their quality of life as worse as death. Low QoL was associated with severity rather than duration of disease with a moderate inverse correlation between QoL and Osame's Motor Disability Score (-0.4933) Patients who are wheelchair dependent had lowest QoL whilst those still walking unaided had the highest. AC also reported impaired QoL (0.7121) compared to general population. CONCLUSION HTLV-1 and its associated neurological disease has a marked impact on QoL. This study provides robust data to support the development of cost-utility analysis of interventions for HTLV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Rosadas
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiane Assone
- Faculdade de Medicina / Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marina Yamashita
- Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adine Adonis
- National Centre for Human Retrovirology, St. Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marzia Puccioni-Sohler
- Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marisa Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Núcleo de Avaliação em Tecnologia em Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Arthur Paiva
- Faculdade de Medicina / Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Hospital Universitário Prof. Alberto Antunes, Brazil
| | - Jorge Casseb
- Faculdade de Medicina / Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Graham P. Taylor
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Centre for Human Retrovirology, St. Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
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14
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Ramassamy JL, Cassar O, Toumbiri M, Diané A, Idam Mamimandjiami A, Bengone C, Ntsame-Ndong JM, Mouinga-Ondémé A, Gessain A. High prevalence of human T-cell leukemia virus type-1b genotype among blood donors in Gabon, Central Africa. Transfusion 2020; 60:1483-1491. [PMID: 32415686 PMCID: PMC7496943 DOI: 10.1111/trf.15838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The African continent is considered to be the largest endemic area of HTLV‐1 infection, with at least several million infected individuals. Systematic screening of blood donors can prevent the transmission of HTLV‐1 in blood. Gabon is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of HTLV‐1 worldwide, and yet the routine testing of blood donors has still not been introduced. METHODS All blood donations collected between April and July 2017 at the Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine of Gabon were studied. Plasma samples were screened by ELISA for the presence of HTLV‐1/2 antibodies. Western blot (WB) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were used for confirmation. RESULTS In total, 3123 blood donors were tested, including 1740 repeat and 1378 first‐time blood donors (FTBDs). Of them, 132 samples tested positive for HTLV‐1/2 by ELISA (4.2%). WB and PCR confirmed HTLV‐1 infection for 23 individuals. The overall prevalence of HTLV‐1 was 0.74% [95% CI 0.47%‐1.10%], 1% in FTBD, and 0.5% in repeat donors. Age and sex‐adjusted prevalence was five‐fold lower in FTBD than in the general adult population of rural areas of Gabon. All detected HTLV‐1 strains belonged to the central African HTLV‐1b genotype but were highly diverse. CONCLUSION We report an overall prevalence of HTLV‐1 of 0.74%, one of the highest values reported for blood donors in Africa. Given the high risk of HTLV‐1 transmission in blood, it is necessary to conduct cost‐effectiveness studies to determine the need and feasibility of implementing screening of HTLV‐1 in blood donors in Gabon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill-Léa Ramassamy
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3569, CNRS, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Cassar
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3569, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Manoushka Toumbiri
- Unité des infections rétrovirales et pathologies associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Abdoulaye Diané
- Unité des infections rétrovirales et pathologies associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Antony Idam Mamimandjiami
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3569, CNRS, Paris, France.,Unité des infections rétrovirales et pathologies associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon.,Ecole Doctorale Régionale d'Afrique Centrale, Infectiologie Tropicale, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Calixte Bengone
- Centre National de Transfusion sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon
| | | | - Augustin Mouinga-Ondémé
- Unité des infections rétrovirales et pathologies associées, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Antoine Gessain
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3569, CNRS, Paris, France
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15
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Ishak R, de Oliveira Guimarães Ishak M, Vallinoto ACR. The challenge of describing the epidemiology of HTLV in the Amazon region of Brazil. Retrovirology 2020; 17:4. [PMID: 32059740 PMCID: PMC7023703 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-020-0512-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
HTLV-1 was the first described human retrovirus and was soon found to be associated with severe clinical diseases, including a devastating lymphoma/leukemia and other inflammatory diseases. Although HTLV-2 is not usually pathogenic, it is widely distributed among native Indian populations in Brazil, particularly in the Amazon region of the country. Presently, HTLV spreads mainly by the sexual route and from mother to child, and virus persistence is an active biological factor aiding its transmission. Recently, the use of illicit drugs has been shown to be an additional risk factor, showing the influence of new habits on the epidemiology of HTLV in the region. Despite the detection of the virus in several different populations in the Amazon region of Brazil for almost 30 years, the exact prevalence of HTLV-1/2 is not well defined. The original biases in sampling and the selection of epidemiologically unsuitable populations were commonly repeated in most prevalence studies, generating unreliable and conflicting figures that do not represent the actual prevalence of HTLV. The improvements in clinical and laboratory facilities have resulted in the description of several clinical manifestations that were previously unknown in the region. The extent of the spread of the virus must be defined in this region, which is the largest geographical area of the country. As prophylaxis advances toward the use of vaccines against HTLV-1, it is important to determine who is at risk of being infected and developing a disease to successfully implement preventive measures, particularly as proposals are made to eradicate the virus among humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Ishak
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa no.1, Belém, Pará, 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Marluísa de Oliveira Guimarães Ishak
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa no.1, Belém, Pará, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Antonio Carlos R Vallinoto
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa no.1, Belém, Pará, 66075-110, Brazil
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16
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Afonso PV, Cassar O, Gessain A. Molecular epidemiology, genetic variability and evolution of HTLV-1 with special emphasis on African genotypes. Retrovirology 2019; 16:39. [PMID: 31842895 PMCID: PMC6916231 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-019-0504-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1) is an oncoretrovirus that infects at least 10 million people worldwide. HTLV-1 exhibits a remarkable genetic stability, however, viral strains have been classified in several genotypes and subgroups, which often mirror the geographic origin of the viral strain. The Cosmopolitan genotype HTLV-1a, can be subdivided into geographically related subgroups, e.g. Transcontinental (a-TC), Japanese (a-Jpn), West-African (a-WA), North-African (a-NA), and Senegalese (a-Sen). Within each subgroup, the genetic diversity is low. Genotype HTLV-1b is found in Central Africa; it is the major genotype in Gabon, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo. While strains from the HTLV-1d genotype represent only a few percent of the strains present in Central African countries, genotypes -e, -f, and -g have been only reported sporadically in particular in Cameroon Gabon, and Central African Republic. HTLV-1c genotype, which is found exclusively in Australo-Melanesia, is the most divergent genotype. This reflects an ancient speciation, with a long period of isolation of the infected populations in the different islands of this region (Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu archipelago). Until now, no viral genotype or subgroup is associated with a specific HTLV-1-associated disease. HTLV-1 originates from a simian reservoir (STLV-1); it derives from interspecies zoonotic transmission from non-human primates to humans (ancient or recent). In this review, we describe the genetic diversity of HTLV-1, and analyze the molecular mechanisms that are at play in HTLV-1 evolution. Similar to other retroviruses, HTLV-1 evolves either through accumulation of point mutations or recombination. Molecular studies point to a fairly low evolution rate of HTLV-1 (between 5.6E−7 and 1.5E−6 substitutions/site/year), supposedly because the virus persists within the host via clonal expansion (instead of new infectious cycles that use reverse transcriptase).
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe V Afonso
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, CRNS-UMR 3569, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, Bâtiment Lwoff, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris cedex 15, France.
| | - Olivier Cassar
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, CRNS-UMR 3569, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, Bâtiment Lwoff, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris cedex 15, France
| | - Antoine Gessain
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, CRNS-UMR 3569, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, Bâtiment Lwoff, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris cedex 15, France.
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17
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Olagoke O, Quigley BL, Eiden MV, Timms P. Antibody response against koala retrovirus (KoRV) in koalas harboring KoRV-A in the presence or absence of KoRV-B. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12416. [PMID: 31455828 PMCID: PMC6711960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48880-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Koala retrovirus (KoRV) is in the process of endogenization into the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) genome and is currently spreading through the Australian koala population. Understanding how the koala's immune system responds to KoRV infection is critical for developing an efficacious vaccine to protect koalas. To this end, we analyzed the antibody response of 235 wild koalas, sampled longitudinally over a four-year period, that harbored KoRV-A, and with or without KoRV-B. We found that the majority of the sampled koalas were able to make anti-KoRV antibodies, and that there was a linear increase in anti-KoRV IgG levels in koalas up to approximately seven years of age and then a gradual decrease thereafter. Koalas infected with both KoRV-A and KoRV-B were found to have slightly higher anti-KoRV IgG titers than koalas with KoRV-A alone and there was an inverse relationship between anti-KoRV IgG levels and circulating KoRV viral load. Finally, we identified distinct epitopes on the KoRV envelope protein that were recognized by antibodies. Together, these findings provide insight into the koala's immune response to KoRV and may be useful in the development of a therapeutic KoRV vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Olagoke
- Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, 4556, Queensland, Australia
| | - B L Quigley
- Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, 4556, Queensland, Australia
| | - M V Eiden
- Section on Directed Gene Transfer, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Regulation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - P Timms
- Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, 4556, Queensland, Australia.
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