HTLV-1/2 seroprevalence and coinfection rate in Brazilian first-time blood donors: an 11-year follow-up

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2012 May-Jun;54(3):123-9. doi: 10.1590/s0036-46652012000300002.

Abstract

The seroprevalence and geographic distribution of HTLV-1/2 among blood donors are extremely important to transfusion services. We evaluated the seroprevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among first-time blood donor candidates in Ribeirão Preto city and region. From January 2000 to December 2010, 1,038,489 blood donations were obtained and 301,470 were first-time blood donations. All samples were screened with serological tests for HTLV-1/2 using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). In addition, the frequency of coinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Chagas disease (CD) and syphilis was also determined. In-house PCR was used as confirmatory test for HTLV-1/2. A total of 296 (0.1%) first-time donors were serologically reactive for HTLV-1/2. Confirmatory PCR of 63 samples showed that 28 were HTLV-1 positive, 13 HTLV-2 positive, 19 negative and three indeterminate. Regarding HTLV coinfection rates, the most prevalent was with HBV (51.3%) and HCV (35.9%), but coinfection with HIV, CD and syphilis was also detected. The real number of HTLV-infected individual and coinfection rate in the population is underestimated and epidemiological studies like ours are very informative.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Blood Donors / statistics & numerical data*
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Coinfection / diagnosis
  • Coinfection / epidemiology*
  • HTLV-I Infections / diagnosis
  • HTLV-I Infections / epidemiology*
  • HTLV-II Infections / diagnosis
  • HTLV-II Infections / epidemiology*
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / genetics
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / immunology
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / genetics
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Young Adult