HTLV-2b among HIV type 1-coinfected injecting drug users in Spain

• Published in: AIDS research and human retroviruses Vol. 27; no. 5; p. 579
• Main Authors: Abad, María, Dronda, Fernando, Dominguez, Ester, Moreno, Santiago, Vallejo, Alejandro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2011
• Subjects: Cluster Analysis; Genes, pX; HIV Infections - complications; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; HTLV-II Infections - complications; HTLV-II Infections - virology; Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 - genetics; Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 - isolation & purification; Humans; Molecular Epidemiology; Molecular Sequence Data; RNA, Viral - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology; Spain; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications; Terminal Repeat Sequences - genetics; Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics; Spain
• ISSN: 1931-8405
• DOI: 10.1089/AID.2010.0263

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) infection is endemic in the American Indian population and Pygmy tribes in Africa. Nevertheless, HTLV-2 infection has been predominantly detected in U.S. and European injecting drug users (IDU). Noteworthy is that the HTLV-2a subtype is the main circulating variant in North America and Eastern Europe whereas the HTLV-2b subtype is mainly found in Western Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain where coinfection with HIV-1 is frequent. Twelve Spanish subjects infected with HTLV-2 were recruited for the study. All of them were IDUs coinfected with HIV-1. Molecular epidemiology was done by sequencing the LTR, env, and tax regions and by generating phylogenetic trees. The present study showed that all the sequences belonged to the HTLV-2b subtype and were closely related to other Spanish and Portuguese reported sequences, clearly differentiated from those belonging to the HTLV-2a subtype from Eastern Europe. Therefore, infection with HTLV-2b remains prevalent in Spain based on previous studies.