HTLV infection in persons with sexually transmitted diseases in Spain

Ayerdi, Oskar ; Benito, Rafael (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Ortega, Diego (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Aguilera, Antonio ; Montiel, Natalia ; Pintos, Ilduara ; Díaz de Santiago, Alberto ; Baza, Begoña ; Soriano, Vicente ; de Mendoza, Carmen

Resumen: Background: HTLV-1 infection is a neglected disease, despite estimates of 10 million people infected worldwide and producing life-threatening illnesses in 10% of carriers. Sexual transmission is the main route of contagion. However, HTLV-1 is not listed among sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Methods: Serum from all consecutive individuals who had attended six STI clinics across Spain during the last 12 months were tested for HTLV antibodies using a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Reactive samples were confirmed by immunoblot.

Results: A total of 2,524 samples were examined. The majority (1,936; 76.7%) belonged to men, of whom 676 (34.9%) were men who have sex with men (MSM) receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Although native Spaniards predominated (1,470; 58.2%), up to 593 (23.5%) came from Latin America and 139 (5.5%) were African. A total of 26 individuals were initially EIA reactive and immunoblot confirmed 5 as HTLV-1 and 7 as HTLV-2. All but one HTLV-1+ case came from Latin America. Three were men and two were women. Among Latin Americans, the HTLV-1 seroprevalence was 0.67%. In contrast, all seven HTLV-2+ were native Spaniards and former injection drug users, and all but one were HIV+.

Conclusion: The rate of HTLV infection among individuals with STIs in Spain is 0.5%, which is greater than in the general population. These results support the introduction of universal HTLV screening in persons who attend clinics for STIs.

Idioma: Alemán

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1277793

Año: 2023

Publicado en: Frontiers in Immunology 14 (2023), 1277793 [6 pp.]
ISSN: 1664-3224

Factor impacto JCR: 5.7 (2023)

Categ. JCR: IMMUNOLOGY rank: 37 / 181 = 0.204 (2023) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 9.8 - Immunology (Q1) - Immunology and Allergy (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.868 - Immunology and Allergy (Q1) - Immunology (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/ISCIII/FIS/PI21-1717

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Microbiología (Dpto. Microb.Ped.Radio.Sal.Pú.)