Trudie M. Hartley

Seroprevalence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II among Intravenous Drug Users and Persons in Clinics for Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Abstract Background. The human T-cell lymphotropic virus Type I (HTLV-I) is associated with adult T-cell leukemia and myelopathy, whereas HTLV-II infection has uncertain clinical consequences. We assessed the seroprevalence of these retroviruses among intravenous drug users and among patients seen at clinics for sexually transmitted diseases (STD clinics). Methods. We used serum samples that were collected in eight cities in 1988 and 1989 during surveys of human immunodeficiency virus infection among intravenous drug users entering treatment and persons seen in STD clinics. The serum samples were tested for antibodies to HTLV, and positive specimens were tested further by a synthetic peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to differentiate between HTLV-I and HTLV-II. Results. Among 3217 intravenous drug users in 29 drug-treatment centers, the median seroprevalence rates of HTLV varied widely according to city (range, 0.4 percent in Atlanta to 17.6 percent in Los Angeles). Seroprevalence increased ...

The relationship and biology of human retroviruses.

other animal retroviruses, including long terminal repeat, group-specific polymerase, envelope, and transactivation genes. Human retroviruses discovered to date have been associated with lymphoproliferative or cytopathic disease states. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shares genomic sequence, structural features, replicative mechanisms, and cytopathic features with other animal lentiviruses. Lentiviruses, such as HIV, share the common biological features of inducing fusion and death of infected host cells. Restricted transcription of viral gene products (in concert with host factors) and antigenic variation (primarily in the envelope gene) allow these viruses