RESUMEN
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/II Microelisa System (Organon Teknika). The HTLV-I Tax-specific antibody titers were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Generalized estimating equations were used to describe the associations of exposure variables with sequentially measured levels of HTLV-I viral markers in children. RESULTS: The HTLV-I antibody titer increased significantly up to 1 year after infection, reaching equilibrium at a median titer of 1 : 7,786. The prevalence of Tax-specific antibody reached 80% at 2 years after infection. The provirus load increased up to 2 years after infection, reaching equilibrium at a median of 6,695 copies/100,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The increase in the provirus load was significant only among children with eczema, but not among children without eczema. CONCLUSIONS: The provirus loads in children increased for an additional year after their antibody titers had stabilized, possibly as a result of the expansion of HTLV-I-infected clones. This effect was significant only for children with eczema. Among HTLV-I-infected children, eczema may be a cutaneous marker of the risk of HTLV-I-associated diseases developing in adulthood.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Anti-HTLV-I/sangre , Infecciones por HTLV-I/diagnóstico , Infecciones por HTLV-I/fisiopatología , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/aislamiento & purificación , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/virología , Lactancia Materna , Niño , ADN Viral/sangre , Femenino , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Transmisión Vertical de Enfermedad Infecciosa , Jamaica , Masculino , Embarazo , Atención Prenatal , Carga ViralRESUMEN
In a prospective study of food handlers in Jamaica, we estimated the age- and sex-specific seroincidence of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection. Of 682 sexually active adults (132 males and 550 females) who were initially seronegative, 12 (1 male and 11 females) seroconverted over 8 years of follow-up. The seroincidence was 1.2 per 1,000 person-years for males and 3.2 per 1,000 person-years for females. The age-standardized incidence was 1.8 times higher for females than for males (P = 0.55). Within a median of 4 years after seroconversion, the median HTLV-I provirus load was 500 copies/105 cells, and the median antibody titer was 1:3109. Four of 12 seroconverters developed antibody to the Tax regulatory protein. HTLV-I infection in this population occurred at a rate comparable with that described for a Japanese cohort. Provirus load, titer and appearance of antibody to the Tax regulatory protein were typical of chronic carriers within a few years of seroconversion.