Kazuhiro Kakimoto

Bottle-feeding can prevent transmission of htlv-1 from mothers to their babies

Breast-feeding is a major factor in the vertical transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I). We studied whether such transmission may be prevented by bottle-feeding. HTLV-I infection was detected by both HTLV-I antigen and antibody tests. Thirty bottle-fed babies were examined 24 months after birth; only one was found to be HTLV-I antigen-positive. This infection rate was lower than that for breast-fed babies in whom HTLV-I antigen was detected in 24 of the 31 24-month-old babies born to HTLV-I positive mothers in a previous study. These results suggest that most vertical transmission of HTLV-I is attributable to breast-feeding and can be prevented by bottle-feeding.

HHV-6 infection during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion

antibody titres of her serum, because serum antibody titres for viruses that induce liver dysfunction generally were negative. HHV-6 antibody rose from under 10 at admission to over 1280 after 4 days, and high titres were maintained for 3 months (> 1280) (figure). We suspected that her symptoms were caused by chronic HHV-6 infection and began daily intravenous injection of stronger neominophagen C (SNMC) containing glycyrrhizon and subcutaneous injections of recombinant G-CSF 25 ug (GRAN, Sankyo). SNMC therapy was ineffective. Her liver dysfunction worsened and granulocytopenia (segmentation 0%, band 0%) and anaemia (Hb 7-8 g/dl) continued. In May, she had mild jaundice (total bilirubin 1 4 mg/dl) and in June her aminotransferase values were increased (ALT 1949 and AST 1155 IU/1). To reduce virus activity, we administered interferon-ot (IFN-(x, Sumitomo) by daily subcutaneous injection, similar to the protocol for chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis B or C viruses. We started at 20 000 U/kg per day and increased to 80 000 U/kg per day. Liver dysfunction improved (ALT 517 and AST 393 IU/1) 1 month later, and granulocytopenia and anaemia improved slowly. There have been no reports of progressive liver dysfunction, anaemia, and granulocytopenia associated with HHV-6 infection. All the symptoms in our case were suspected to have been caused by HHV-6 chronic active infection because of the clinical symptoms and the changes in HHV-6 antibody titre.

Detection of HTLV-I Genome in Seronegative Infants Born to HTLV-I Seropositive Mothers by Polymerase Chain Reaction

We applied the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect gag, env and pX sequences of human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV‐I) provirus in peripheral blood lymphocytes of seronega‐tive infants born to HTLV‐I seropositive mothers. Out of 22, five subjects were found to contain the HTLV‐I provirus genome. Two of the five cases were judged to be negative for not only anti‐HTLV‐I antibodies but also the viral antigens on cultivated lymphocytes by the conventional antibody/antigen detection methods. These results indicate that PCR is of great use as a simple and highly sensitive method detect HTLV‐I infection.

Long-term serological outcome of infants who received frozen–thawed milk from human T-lymphotropic virus type-I positive mothers

Aim:  Human T‐lymphotropic virus type‐I (HTLV‐I) infection occurs via mothers’ milk during feeding. However, freeze–thaw processing can eliminate the infectivity of the mothers milk of HTLV‐I carriers.