Abstract |
Six hundred intravenous drug users (IVDUs) and two hundred North Africans were screened for human T-cell leukemia virus ( HTLV) antibodies using several serological methods. Eighteen of the eighty-two HTLV-seropositive individuals were also tested by the polymerase chain reaction- DNA enzyme immunoassay (PCR-DEIA), a non-isotopic method of immunoenzymatic detection of the amplified DNA. Of these eighteen subjects, eight IVDUs were found to be HTLV-II-positive by the PCR-DEIA, whereas all of the eighteen subjects were negative for HTLV-I. Western blot (WB) confirmed six of the eight HTLV-positive subjects, while the results of the remaining two were indeterminate. The results confirmed the PCR-DEIA as a rapid and an efficient method of discriminating between HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection, whereas serological tests, including the WB, have limitations in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Moreover, this study showed a higher frequency of HTLV seroreactivity in the Italian IVDU population than in previous studies and confirmed that HTLV-II is more frequent than HTLV-I in this population.
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Authors | E Colombo, C Magistrelli, E Mendozzi, E Cattaneo, G Achilli, P Ferrante |
Journal | Journal of medical virology
(J Med Virol)
Vol. 47
Issue 1
Pg. 10-5
(Sep 1995)
ISSN: 0146-6615 [Print] United States |
PMID | 8551251
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- DNA, Viral
- HTLV-I Antibodies
- HTLV-II Antibodies
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Topics |
- Africa, Northern
- Base Sequence
- DNA, Viral
(analysis)
- HTLV-I Antibodies
(blood)
- HTLV-I Infections
(complications, diagnosis, immunology)
- HTLV-II Antibodies
(blood)
- HTLV-II Infections
(complications, diagnosis, immunology)
- Human T-lymphotropic virus 1
(genetics, immunology)
- Human T-lymphotropic virus 2
(genetics, immunology)
- Humans
- Italy
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Serologic Tests
- Substance Abuse, Intravenous
(complications)
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