Maternal proviral load and vertical transmission of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 in Guinea-Bissau

van Tienen, C. et al. (2012) Maternal proviral load and vertical transmission of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 in Guinea-Bissau. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 28(6), pp. 584-590. (doi: 10.1089/aid.2011.0219) (PMID:22066980)

Abstract

The relative importance of routes of transmission of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in Guinea-Bissau is largely unknown; vertical transmission is thought to be important, but there are very few existing data. We aimed to examine factors associated with transmission in mothers and children in Guinea-Bissau, where HTLV-1 is endemic (prevalence of 5% in the adult population). A cross-sectional survey was performed among mothers and their children (aged <15 years) in a rural community in Guinea-Bissau. A questionnaire to identify risk factors for infection and a blood sample were obtained. HTLV-1 proviral load in peripheral blood was determined and PCR was performed to compare long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences in mother–child pairs. Fourteen out of 55 children (25%) of 31 HTLV-1-infected mothers were infected versus none of 70 children of 30 uninfected mothers. The only factor significantly associated with HTLV-1 infection in the child was the proviral load of the mother; the risk of infection increased significantly with the log10 proviral load in the mother's peripheral blood (OR 5.5, 95% CI 2.1–14.6, per quartile), adjusted for weaning age and maternal income. HTLV-1 sequences of the LTR region obtained from mother–child pairs were identical within pairs but differed between the pairs. Vertical transmission plays an important role in HTLV-1 transmission in this community in Guinea-Bissau. The risk of transmission increases with the mother's proviral load in the peripheral blood. Identical sequences in mother–child pairs give additional support to the maternal source of the children's infection.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cotten, Professor Matthew
• Authors: van Tienen, C., McConkey, S. J., de Silva, T. I., Cotten, M., Kaye, S., Sarge-Njie, R., da Costa, C., Gonçalves, N., Parker, J., Vincent, T., Jaye, A., Aaby, P., Whittle, H., and Schim van der Loeff, M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity > Centre for Virus Research
• Journal Name: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
• Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert
• ISSN: 0889-2229
• ISSN (Online): 1931-8405
• Published Online: 09 November 2011