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Incidence of anti-HTLV-1 antibody in liver disease
1Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Insights
Serum antibody positivity for Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was higher in Japanese liver disease patients, especially those with a history of blood transfusion or hepatitis B surface antigen. This suggests shared transmission routes for HTLV-1 and hepatitis viruses.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Hepatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are significant causes of chronic liver disease.
- Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is endemic in certain populations and can cause various diseases.
- The relationship between HTLV-1 infection and chronic liver disease, particularly in regions with high HBV prevalence, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of serum anti-HTLV-1 antibodies in patients with chronic liver diseases compared to healthy controls.
- To explore potential associations between HTLV-1 positivity and specific risk factors such as blood transfusion history and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection status in liver disease patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Chikugo district of Japan.
- Serum samples from 171 patients with chronic liver diseases and 22 asymptomatic HBV carriers were tested for anti-HTLV-1 antibodies.
- Prevalence rates were compared with those of 200 healthy controls, with subgroup analyses based on blood transfusion history and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status.
Main Results:
- The overall rate of anti-HTLV-1 positivity in liver disease patients (8.1%) was higher than in healthy controls (3.5%), though not statistically significant.
- Patients with liver disease and a history of blood transfusion showed a significantly higher rate of anti-HTLV-1 positivity (18.4%) compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001).
- Among liver disease patients without a transfusion history, those positive for HBsAg had a significantly higher anti-HTLV-1 positivity rate (11.3%) than HBsAg-negative patients (1.3%) (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- The elevated incidence of anti-HTLV-1 in liver disease patients suggests a potential link between HTLV-1 and chronic liver disease.
- Shared transmission routes, including maternal transmission and blood transfusion, may contribute to the co-occurrence of HTLV-1 and hepatitis viruses (HBV, HCV).
- These findings highlight the importance of considering HTLV-1 infection in the context of chronic liver disease management and prevention strategies, particularly in endemic areas.
Abstract:
Positivity for serum anti-HTLV-1 antibody (anti-HTLV-1) in 171 patients with various chronic liver diseases and 22 asymptomatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers was compared with that of 200 healthy controls in the Chikugo district of Japan. The rate of anti-HTLV-1 positivity in patients with liver disease was 8.1% (14/171) and was higher than that (3.5%: 7/200) in healthy controls, but the difference was not significant. However, in patients with liver disease with a history of blood transfusion, the positive rate was 18.4% (7/38) which was significantly higher than that for healthy subject (P less than 0.001). On the other hand, in 133 liver disease patients without blood transfusion, anti-HTLV-1 positivity was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (11.3%: 6/53) than in those without it (1.3%: 1/80). These data suggest that the high incidence of anti-HTLV-1 in our patients with liver disease was due to the transmission of HTLV-1 by the same routes (maternal transmission and blood transfusion) and probably at the same time as the hepatitis viruses (HBV and hepatitis C virus).