Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Thalassemia is an inherited genetic disorder requiring multiple transfusions to treat anemia caused by low hemoglobin levels. Thus, thalassemia patients are at risk for infection with blood-borne pathogens, including human T cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) that are transmitted by transfusion of cellular blood products. Here, we examined the prevalence of HTLV among 234 U.S. thalassemia patients using sera collected in 2008. Sera were tested for antibodies to HTLV-1/2 using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a confirmatory western blot (WB) that differentiates between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Demographic information and clinical information were collected at study enrollment, including HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) status. Three patients (1.3%) were WB positive; two were HTLV-1 and one could not be serotyped as HTLV-1/2. All three HTLV-positive persons were HIV-1 negative and one was HCV seropositive. The HTLV seroprevalence was higher than that of HIV-1 (0.85%) and lower than HCV (18.8%) in this populatio...
Source: Retrovirology
Institutions: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Lurie Children's Hospital, Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
OpenAlex ID: W2069779306