Comparison of human T- cell leukemia virus type-1 [HTLV-1] seroprevalence in high risk patients [thalassemia and hemodialysis] and healthy individuals from charmahal - Bakhtiari province, Iran

ABSTRACT

To comapare the seroprevalence of Human Tlymphotropic virus type 1 [HTLV-1] in high risk group patients [such as those with thalassemia or those who are on hemodialysis] with normal healthy individuals. Prospective study Charmahal - Baktiari province, Iran. A total of 357 serum samples from the patients [case] and 800 from the healthy individuals [control] were tested for HTLV specific antibody. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. All ELISA positive samples were assayed by Western blotting analysis. The individuals in the two groups were both age and sex matched [p > 0.05]. Main Outcome Measures: Seroprevalence of HTLV-1 The ELISA results showed that 27 out of 357 [7.6%] samples from the case and five out of 800 [0.62%] from the control group tested positive for HTLV-1 specific antibody. The Western blotting results showed that 24 of 27 [89%] ELISA-positive samples from the case and five out of 800 [0.62%] from the test group were HTLV-1. The mean age of the patients in the two groups was almost the same. The seroprevalence of HTLV-1 among both the high risk patients and the healthy individuals from this province was significantly high and was almost similar to that in another endemic region in the country. Therefore, this province may be considered an endemic area for this virus in Iran