Transmission Routes of HTLV‐I: An Analysis of 66 Families

• Published in: Cancer science Vol. 84; no. 12; pp. 1265 - 1267
• Main Authors: Take, Hiromichi, Umemoto, Masakazu, Kusuhara, Kouichi, Kuraya, Kazue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.1993; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; AIDS/HIV; Antiretroviral drugs; Blood transfusion; Carrier State - microbiology; Disease transmission; Family study; Female; HTLV-I Antibodies - analysis; HTLV-I Infections - transmission; HTLV‐I; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - immunology; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - pathogenicity; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pregnancy; Sexual transmission; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - microbiology; Vertical transmission
• ISSN: 0910-5050; 1347-9032; 1349-7006; 1876-4673
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1993.tb02832.x

HTLV‐I transmission routes were found for 66 carrier pregnant women by studying sera, from the carrier pregnant women, their mothers, and their husbands, and by obtaining detailed family histories at interview. Forty‐one cases (62.1%) were considered to be instances of vertical transmission, 15 (22.8%) of sexual transmission, 6 (9.1%) of blood transfusion, and 4 (6.1%) undecided. To date, most cases of adult T‐cell leukemia (ATL) have been considered to result from vertical transmission. Our results therefore imply that about 30% (22.8%+ 9.1%) of the carrier pregnant women are at minimal risk of ATL. Moreover, in case of presumed husband‐to‐wife transmission, more than half (6/11) were infected between one year and four years after marriage.