Evidence for mother-to-child transmission of human T lymphotropic virus type II.

Abstract

Serologic analysis of the children of 2 married human T lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II)-infected prostitutes demonstrated antibodies to HTLV-II in an 8-year-old boy whose only recognizable risk for HTLV-II infection was breast-feeding during his first 4 years of life. Limited sequence analysis of isolates infecting the mother and child demonstrated 100% identical sequences in the long terminal repeat (LTR65-297; 236 bp), pol4762-4919 (157 bp), and env5523-6003 (480 bp) regions (both isolates were subtype a), suggesting mother-to-child transmission. In contrast, isolates obtained from 2 other prostitutes from the same geographic region had sequences different from those of the first woman and her child, and the second and third women were infected with HTLV-II subtype b. Although vertical transmission of HTLV-II in this 8-year-old child cannot be conclusively ascertained, the probability is overwhelming that infection occurred through breast-feeding for an extended period of time.

• Authors: R B Lal, R A Gongora-Biachi, D Pardi, W M Switzer, I Goldman, A F Lal
• Journal: The Journal of infectious diseases (J Infect Dis) Vol. 168 Issue 3 Pg. 586-91 (Sep 1993) ISSN: 0022-1899 [Print] United States
• PMID: 8354900 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• HTLV-II Antibodies

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Base Sequence
• Breast Feeding
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Genes, env (genetics)
• Genes, pol (genetics)
• HTLV-II Antibodies (blood)
• HTLV-II Infections (transmission)
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 (genetics)
• Humans
• Male
• Mexico (epidemiology)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid (genetics)
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Sequence Analysis, DNA
• Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid