A public HTLV-1 molecular epidemiology database for sequence management and data mining

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Epidemiology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects an estimated 15-20 million people globally.
• Over 2,000 unique HTLV-1 isolate sequences are currently published.
• A centralized database is needed to consolidate HTLV-1 sequence data for epidemiological and evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a user-friendly database for collecting and annotating HTLV-1 sequence data.
• To provide a centralized resource for scientists and physicians studying HTLV-1.
• To facilitate research on HTLV-1 infections, pathogenesis, origins, and evolutionary dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Data was compiled from GenBank and direct author contact.
• The database was built using Apache Webserver, MySQL, HTML, and PHP.
• The HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database is hosted on the Gonçalo Moniz/FIOCRUZ Research Center server.

Main Results:

• The database currently holds 2,457 registered sequences, with 2,024 (82.37%) representing unique isolates.
• Clinical status information is available for 803 sequences (39.67%), including TSP/HAM, ATL, and asymptomatic cases.
• Sequence data includes patient gender (7.26%) and age (5.23%).

Conclusions:

• The HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database successfully retrieves and stores annotated HTLV-1 proviral sequences.
• This publicly accessible, user-friendly website supports clinical, epidemiological, and geographical research.
• The open-access database aims to advance clinical research and vaccine development for HTLV-1.