High Prevalence of HTLV-1 Infection Among Japanese Immigrants in Non-endemic Area of Brazil

Overview

Journal PLoS Negl Trop Dis

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Tropical Medicine

Date 2015 Apr 18

PMID 25886507

Citations 18

Authors

Larissa M Bandeira

Silvia N O Uehara

Marcel A Asato

Gabriela S Aguena

Cristiane M Maedo

Nikolas H Benites

Marco A M Puga

Grazielli R Rezende

Carolina M Finotti

Gabriela A Cesar

Tayana S O Tanaka

Vivianne O L Castro

Koko Otsuki

Ana C P Vicente

Carlos E Fernandes

Ana R C Motta-Castro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has worldwide distribution and is considered endemic in many world regions, including southwestern Japan and Brazil. Japanese immigrants and their descendants have a high risk of acquiring this infection due to intense population exchange between Brazil and Japan.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HTLV, analyze the main risk factors associated with this infection, identify the main circulating types and subtypes of HTLV in Japanese immigrants and descendants living in Campo Grande-MS (Middle-West Brazil), as well as analyze the phylogenetic relationship among isolates of HTLV.

Study Design: A total of 219 individuals were interviewed and submitted to blood collection. All collected blood samples were submitted for detection of anti-HTLV-1/2 using the immunoassay ELISA and confirmed by immunoblot method. The proviral DNA of the 14 samples HTLV- 1 positive were genotyped by nucleotide sequencing.

Results: The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 was 6.8% (IC 95%: 3,5-10,2). Descriptive analysis of behavioral risk factors showed statistical association between HTLV-1 and age greater than or equal to 45 years. The proviral DNA of HTLV-1 was detected in all HTLV-1 positive samples. Of these, 14 were sequenced and classified as Cosmopolitan subtype, and 50% (7/14) belonged to subgroup A (transcontinental) and 50% (7/14) to the subgroup B (Japanese).

Conclusion: The high prevalence of HTLV-1 found evidence of the importance of early diagnosis and counseling of individuals infected with HTLV-1 for the control and prevention of the spread of this infection among Japanese immigrants and their descendants in Central Brazil.

Citing Articles

HTLV infection in urban population from Mato Grosso do Sul, Central Brazil.

Amianti C, Bandeira L, Cardoso W, da Silva A, de Jesus M, Ibanez R Retrovirology. 2024; 21(1):18.

PMID: 39501314 PMC: 11539760. DOI: 10.1186/s12977-024-00650-1.

The Global Prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Infections among Immigrants and Refugees-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Marinho T, Okita M, Guimaraes R, de Sene Amancio Zara A, Caetano K, Teles S Viruses. 2024; 16(10).

PMID: 39459861 PMC: 11512286. DOI: 10.3390/v16101526.

Determination of molecular epidemiologic pattern of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in Alborz province, Iran.

Safavi M, Habibian-Sezavar F, Letafati A, Solouki S, Yaslianifard S, Kaboli P Virus Genes. 2024; 60(2):117-125.

PMID: 38273115 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-024-02051-0.

Human T-lymphotropic virus 1/2 infection among immigrants and refugees in Central Brazil, an emerging vulnerable population.

Marinho T, Magalhaes L, Santos K, Martins T, Silva G, Silva A Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1265100.

PMID: 37869208 PMC: 10588471. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1265100.

Epidemiological and molecular evidence of intrafamilial transmission through sexual and vertical routes in Bahia, the state with the highest prevalence of HTLV-1 in Brazil.

Nunes da Silva A, Araujo T, Boa-Sorte N, Farias G, Galvao-Barroso A, de Carvalho A PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2023; 17(9):e0011005.

PMID: 37769013 PMC: 10593241. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011005.

References

Yamashita M, Ishida T, Ohkura S, Miura T, Hayami M . Phylogenetic characterization of a new HTLV type 1 from the Ainu in Japan. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2001; 17(8):783-7. DOI: 10.1089/088922201750237068. View

Segurado A, Biasutti C, Zeigler R, Rodrigues C, Damas C, Jorge M . Identification of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) subtypes using restricted fragment length polymorphism in a cohort of asymptomatic carriers and patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis from São Paulo,.... Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2002; 97(3):329-33. DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762002000300009. View

Vallinoto A, Muto N, Pontes G, Machado L, Azevedo V, Santos S . Serological and molecular evidence of HTLV-I infection among Japanese immigrants living in the Amazon region of Brazil. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2004; 57(4):156-9. View

Proietti F, Carneiro-Proietti A, Catalan-Soares B, Murphy E . Global epidemiology of HTLV-I infection and associated diseases. Oncogene. 2005; 24(39):6058-68. DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1208968. View

Dal Fabbro M, da Cunha R, Boia M, Portela P, Botelho C, de Freitas G . [HTLV 1/2 infection: prenatal performance as a disease control strategy in State of Mato Grosso do Sul]. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2008; 41(2):148-51. DOI: 10.1590/s0037-86822008000200003. View

Eshima N, Iwata O, Iwata S, Tabata M, Higuchi Y, Matsuishi T . Age and gender specific prevalence of HTLV-1. J Clin Virol. 2009; 45(2):135-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2009.03.012. View

Nascimento L, Carneiro M, Teles S, Lopes C, Reis N, Silva A . [Prevalence of infection due to HTLV-1 in remnant quilombos in Central Brazil]. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2010; 42(6):657-60. DOI: 10.1590/s0037-86822009000600009. View

Murphy E, Figueroa J, Gibbs W, Cranston B, Malley K, Bodner A . Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) seroprevalence in Jamaica. I. Demographic determinants. Am J Epidemiol. 1991; 133(11):1114-24. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115824. View

Martins R, Nascimento L, Carneiro M, Teles S, Lopes C, Coimbra Motta-Castro A . HTLV-1 intrafamilial transmission through three generations in an isolated Afro-Brazilian community. J Clin Virol. 2010; 48(2):155-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2010.03.004. View

10.

Watanabe T . Current status of HTLV-1 infection. Int J Hematol. 2011; 94(5):430-4. DOI: 10.1007/s12185-011-0934-4. View

11.

Pinto M, Rodrigues E, Malta T, Azevedo R, Takayanagui O, Valente V . 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; 54(3):123-9. DOI: 10.1590/s0036-46652012000300002. View

12.

Zihlmann K, de Alvarenga A, Casseb J . Living invisible: HTLV-1-infected persons and the lack of care in public health. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012; 6(6):e1705. PMC: 3373594. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001705. View

13.

Otani M, Honda N, Xia P, Eguchi K, Ichikawa T, Watanabe T . Distribution of Two Subgroups of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) in Endemic Japan. Trop Med Health. 2012; 40(2):55-8. PMC: 3475314. DOI: 10.2149/tmh.2012-02. View

14.

Pique C, Jones K . Pathways of cell-cell transmission of HTLV-1. Front Microbiol. 2012; 3:378. PMC: 3479854. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00378. View

15.

Gessain A, Cassar O . Epidemiological Aspects and World Distribution of HTLV-1 Infection. Front Microbiol. 2012; 3:388. PMC: 3498738. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00388. View

16.

Hedayati-Moghaddam M . A Systematic Review for Estimation of HTLV-I Infection in the Blood Donors of Iran. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2014; 16(3):196-201. PMC: 3881243. View

17.

Matsubara F, Sagara Y, Kato Y, Harada K, Koizumi A, Haraguchi K . Detection of antibodies to human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 in breast milk from East Asian women. Biol Pharm Bull. 2014; 37(2):311-4. DOI: 10.1248/bpb.13-00558. View

18.

Kohakura M, Nakada K, Yonahara M, Komoda H, Imai J, Hinuma Y . Seroepidemiology of the human retrovirus (HTLV/ATLV) in Okinawa where adult T-cell leukemia is highly endemic. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1986; 77(1):21-3. View

19.

Kitagawa T, Fujishita M, Taguchi H, Miyoshi I, Tadokoro H . Antibodies to HTLV-I in Japanese immigrants in Brazil. JAMA. 1986; 256(17):2342. View

20.

Tajima K, Kamura S, Ito S, Ito M, Nagatomo M, Kinoshita K . Epidemiological features of HTLV-I carriers and incidence of ATL in an ATL-endemic island: a report of the community-based co-operative study in Tsushima, Japan. Int J Cancer. 1987; 40(6):741-6. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910400605. View