Background:
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a significant public health concern in Brazil, known for establishing latent infections and causing debilitating conditions such as Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP). While Brazil is considered a focal point for the virus, prevalence rates are highly variable across different regions and vulnerable populations. Multicenter studies involving diverse regions and high-risk groups, such as individuals with HIV or tuberculosis, are essential to accurately estimate nationwide prevalence and identify key predictors of infection.
Abstract:
Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between 2021 and 2023, involving 3,184 participants from seven Brazilian cities (Salvador, Belém, Curitiba, Dourados, Fortaleza, Natal, and Vitória). Five epidemiologically relevant groups were surveyed: the general population, individuals with HIV, patients with tuberculosis, pregnant women, and individuals on PrEP. HTLV-1 infection was determined by ELISA and confirmed by Western blot.
- Results: The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 was 0.5% (95% CI: 0.3–0.8), with the highest city-specific rate found in Vitória (1.0%). By study population, the highest prevalence was observed in tuberculosis patients (0.9%) and HIV-positive individuals (0.7%). Multivariate logistic regression identified older age (>40 years; OR: 8.867), female gender (OR: 4.604), and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OR: 13.995) as independent risk factors.
- Conclusion: HTLV-1 prevalence in Brazil varies significantly by region and population. The strong association with female gender and older age, combined with the absence of cases among injection drug users or blood transfusion recipients in this cohort, suggests that sexual transmission is the primary route of infection.
Keywords: multicenter, cross-sectional study, HTLV-1 prevalence, risk factors, epidemiologically relevant groups.
Clique aqui
- Data de Publicação: 03/03/2025
- Autores: Carlos Brites1† , Prince Baffour Tonto2,3† , Antonio C. Vallinoto4 , Onayane dos Santos Oliveira4 , Simone Simionatto5 , Monica Bay6 , Tania Reuter7 , Monica M. Gomes-da-Silva8 , Melissa Medeiros9,10, Rafaela Mayoral1 , Estela Luz1 , Michael Rocha11, Hareton Vechi12,13 and Bobby Brooke Herrera1,2,3
