Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2017 Feb 15;18(1):64.
doi: 10.1186/s12882-017-0484-y.

Prevalence and risk factors for Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) among maintenance hemodialysis patients

Rilma F S Santos  1   2 , Gildásio C Conceição  3 , Márcia S Martins  4 , Angiolina Kraychete  4 , Maria A C Penalva  5 , Edgar M Carvalho  6   7 , Antonio Alberto Lopes  4   7 , Paulo Novis Rocha  8   7
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Prevalence and risk factors for Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) among maintenance hemodialysis patients

Rilma F S Santos et al. BMC Nephrol. .

Abstract

Background: Infection with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), although asymptomatic in most cases, can lead to potentially grave consequences, such as adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy / tropical spastic paraparesis. Its prevalence varies widely across different populations and geographic regions. A population-based study in the city of Salvador, located in the Northeast region of Brazil, showed an overall prevalence of HTLV-1 seropositivity of 1.7%. Blood borne virus infections are recognized as important hazards for patients and staff in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) units but most studies focus on hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viruses. There are scarce data about HTLV-1 infection in the MHD population. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for HTLV-1 infection among MHD patients in the city of Salvador-Bahia, Brazil.

Methods: We conducted a multi-center, cross-sectional study nested in a prospective cohort of MHD patients enrolled from four outpatient clinics. HTLV-1 screening was performed with ELISA and positive cases were confirmed by Western Blot. Factors associated with HTLV-1 seropositivity were identified by multivariable logistic regression.

Results: 605 patients were included in the study. The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was 2.48% (15/605), which was similar to that of hepatitis B [1.98% (12/605)] and C [3.14% (19/605)] viruses in our sample. HTLV-1 seropositivity was positively associated with age [prevalence odds ratio (POR) 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.08], unmarried status (POR 3.65; 95% CI 1.13-11.65), and history of blood transfusion (POR 3.35; 95% CI 1.01-11.13).

Conclusions: The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in a sample of MHD patients was similar to that of other viral infections, such as hepatitis B and C. Our data revealed that MHD patients who are older, unmarried or who have received blood transfusions are at higher risk for HTLV-1 infection.

Keywords: Blood Transfusion; Chronic Kidney 47 Disease; Hemodialysis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevalence and prevalence ratio of HTLV-1 seropositivity in subgroups of maintenance hemodialysis patients from four satellite clinics in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Poiesz BJ, Ruscetti FW, Gazdar AF, Bunn PA, Minna JD, Gallo RC. Detection and isolation of type C retrovirus particles from fresh and cultured lymphocytes of a patient with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980;77:7415–9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7415. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gessain A. Antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type-I in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis. Lancet. 1985;326:407–10. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(85)92734-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kaplan JE, Osame M, Kubota H, Igata A, Nishitani H, Maeda Y, Khabbaz RF, Janssen RS. The risk of development of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis among persons infected with HTLV-I. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 1990;3:1096–101. - PubMed
    1. Tajima K, Kuroishi T. Estimation of rate of incidence of ATL among ATLV (HTLV-I) carriers in Kyushu, Japan. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 1985;15:423–30. - PubMed
    1. Takatsuki K, Yamaguchi K, Kawano F, Hattori T, Nishimura H, Tsuda H, Sanada I, Nakada K, Itai Y. Clinical diversity in adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma. Cancer Res. 1985;45(9 Suppl):4644s–5. - PubMed

Publication types