OBJECTIVETo study the seroprevalence of human T-cell leukaemia virus type I/II (HTLV-I/II) infection in adult population in the east coastal areas of Fujian and to explore the possible risk factors of HTLV-I/II.

METHODSA total number of 3259 blood samples from drug users, sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients, prostitutes and blood donors for serologic assays during 1999 to 2002, were collected. All samples were screened for HTLV-I/II antibody, using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. All of the positive samples were confirmed by western blot (WB) kits. Statistical analysis was done by Epi software, and chi(2) test by Fisher's exact test. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTSThe overall seroprevalence rate of HTLV-I/II in healthy populations was 0.06% including, 0.32% in drug users, 0.58% in STD patients and prostitutes respectively. HTLV-II had not been found. The seropositive rates for HTLV-I in STD patients and prostitutes were significantly higher than the findings among healthy populations (P < 0.05). There were no different seroprevalence rates between drug users and healthy populations (P > 0.05). No significant changes in HTLV-I prevalence rates were found in the different age groups as well as in Fuzhou and Linde cities (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe result suggested that in the east coastal areas of Fujian province, HTLV-I was the main prevalent virus. The seroprevalence of HTLV-I was very low, with no HTLV-II. Neither age nor gender seemed to be HTLV-I risk factor in the east coastal areas of Fujian province, but the increase of exposure to sex might be one.

China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Female ; HTLV-I Antibodies ; blood ; HTLV-I Antigens ; immunology ; HTLV-I Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; HTLV-II Antibodies ; blood ; HTLV-II Antigens ; immunology ; HTLV-II Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type-I/II infection among voluntary blood donors in Jiangsu (Nanjing, Suzhou, Xuzhou). METHODS: From 2016 to 2019, 408 262 samples of voluntary blood donors from four blood stations in Jiangsu Province (Jiangsu Province Blood Center, Nanjing Red Cross Blood Center, Suzhou Central Blood Station, and Xuzhou Central Blood Station) were screened for HTLV-I/II antibody by ELISA. The positive samples were sent to National Center for Clinical Laboratories for confirmation by RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: The positive rate of HTLV-I/II screened by ELISA was 0.20‰ (82/408 262), and three HTLV-I positive samples were confirmed. The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was 0.74 per 100 000 (3/408 262). All three donors were female repeated blood donors of childbearing ages. CONCLUSION Jiangsu is a low prevalence area of HTLV, and a reasonable blood screening strategy for HTLV can further reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted virus infection.
Blood Donors ; Female ; HTLV-II Infections/epidemiology* ; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 ; Humans ; Prevalence ; T-Lymphocytes