Skip to main content
PMC home page
The BMJ logoLink to The BMJ
. 1993 Nov 13;307(6914):1235–1239. doi: 10.1136/bmj.307.6914.1235

Prevalence of antibodies to human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus in blood donors in north London.

M Brennan 1, J Runganga 1, J A Barbara 1, M Contreras 1, R S Tedder 1, J A Garson 1, P W Tuke 1, P P Mortimer 1, L McAlpine 1, J H Tosswill 1, et al.
PMCID: PMC1679344  PMID: 8281054

Abstract

OBJECTIVES--To determine the prevalence of antibodies to the human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma viruses (HTLV-I and HTLV-II) in blood donors in north London in order to assess the economic impact and the logistic effects that routine screening would have on the blood supply. DESIGN--All donations collected by the north London blood transfusion centre between January 1991 and June 1991 were screened for antibodies to HTLV-I and HTLV-II by modified, improved Fujirebio gel particle agglutination test. Positive samples were titrated and retested as necessary. SUBJECTS--96,720 unpaid volunteers, who gave 105,730 consecutive donations of blood and plasma. SETTING--North London blood transfusion centre. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Observed numbers of donors confirmed to be seropositive for HTLV by reference laboratories. RESULTS--Of 2622 (2.5%) initially reactive samples, 414 (0.4% of all samples) gave a titre of > or = 1 in 16 on the modified agglutination test. Thirty five of the 414 serum samples yielded positive results on one of two enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA (Cambridge Biotech and Abbot)), and none of these results were confirmed by either reference laboratory. Five samples yielded positive results on both ELISAs and all five of these were confirmed to contain antibodies to HTLV. One of the five contained antibodies to HTLV-II and the others antibodies to HTLV-I. Four seropositive donors were white women whose only risk factor for infection was sexual contact. The fifth (positive for antibodies to HTLV-II) was an Anglo-Caribbean man who admitted to previous misuse of intravenous drugs. CONCLUSION--The prevalence of antibodies to HTLV in blood donors in north London was one in 19,344 (0.005%). Up to 100 donors a year might be identified in the United Kingdom as being infected with HTLV, although prevalence in different regions may vary considerably.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barbara J. A., Salker R., Challis P., Contreras M. Gelatin particle agglutination assay for HIV antibodies: a rapid, economical modification with increased sensitivity. Med Lab Sci. 1989 Apr;46(2):135–140. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Canavaggio M., Leckie G., Allain J. P., Steaffens J. W., Laurian Y., Brettler D., Lee H. The prevalence of antibody to HTLV-I/II in United States plasma donors and in United States and French hemophiliacs. Transfusion. 1990 Nov-Dec;30(9):780–782. doi: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1990.30991048781.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chen Y. C., Wang C. H., Su I. J., Hu C. Y., Chou M. J., Lee T. H., Lin D. T., Chung T. Y., Liu C. H., Yang C. S. Infection of human T-cell leukemia virus type I and development of human T-cell leukemia lymphoma in patients with hematologic neoplasms: a possible linkage to blood transfusion. Blood. 1989 Jul;74(1):388–394. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Couroucé A. M., Pillonel J., Lemaire J. M., Maniez M., Brunet J. B. Seroepidemiology of HTLV-I/II in universal screening of blood donations in France. AIDS. 1993 Jun;7(6):841–847. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199306000-00013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fujino R., Kawato K., Ikeda M., Miyakoshi H., Mizukoshi M., Imai J. Improvement of gelatin particle agglutination test for detection of anti-HTLV-I antibody. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1991 Apr;82(4):367–370. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1991.tb01856.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gardiner H. M., Dunn P. M. Controlled trial of immediate splinting versus ultrasonographic surveillance in congenitally dislocatable hips. Lancet. 1990 Dec 22;336(8730):1553–1556. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)93318-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hjelle B., Appenzeller O., Mills R., Alexander S., Torrez-Martinez N., Jahnke R., Ross G. Chronic neurodegenerative disease associated with HTLV-II infection. Lancet. 1992 Mar 14;339(8794):645–646. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)90797-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kaplan J. E., Osame M., Kubota H., Igata A., Nishitani H., Maeda Y., Khabbaz R. F., Janssen R. S. The risk of development of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis among persons infected with HTLV-I. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 1990;3(11):1096–1101. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kiyokawa T., Yamaguchi K., Nishimura Y., Fukuoka N., Watanabe T., Takatsuki K. Western blot criteria for HTLV-I. Lancet. 1991 Aug 3;338(8762):312–312. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)90450-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McAlpine L., Parry J. V., Tosswill J. H. Evaluation of an enzyme immunoassay for the combined detection of antibodies to HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-I and HTLV-II. AIDS. 1992 Apr;6(4):387–391. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199204000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Minamoto G. Y., Gold J. W., Scheinberg D. A., Hardy W. D., Chein N., Zuckerman E., Reich L., Dietz K., Gee T., Hoffer J. Infection with human T-cell leukemia virus type I in patients with leukemia. N Engl J Med. 1988 Jan 28;318(4):219–222. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198801283180405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Murphy E. L., Hanchard B., Figueroa J. P., Gibbs W. N., Lofters W. S., Campbell M., Goedert J. J., Blattner W. A. Modelling the risk of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in persons infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type I. Int J Cancer. 1989 Feb 15;43(2):250–253. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910430214. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Okochi K., Sato H., Hinuma Y. A retrospective study on transmission of adult T cell leukemia virus by blood transfusion: seroconversion in recipients. Vox Sang. 1984;46(5):245–253. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1984.tb00083.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Osame M., Izumo S., Igata A., Matsumoto M., Matsumoto T., Sonoda S., Tara M., Shibata Y. Blood transfusion and HTLV-I associated myelopathy. Lancet. 1986 Jul 12;2(8498):104–105. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)91636-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Salker R., Tosswill J. H., Barbara J. A., Runganga J., Contreras M., Tedder R. S., Parra-Mejia N., Mortimer P. P. HTLV-I/II antibodies in UK blood donors. Lancet. 1990 Aug 4;336(8710):317–317. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)91856-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sandler S. G., Fang C. T., Williams A. E. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I and II in transfusion medicine. Transfus Med Rev. 1991 Apr;5(2):93–107. doi: 10.1016/s0887-7963(91)70197-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tajima K., Tominaga S., Suchi T., Kawagoe T., Komoda H., Hinuma Y., Oda T., Fujita K. Epidemiological analysis of the distribution of antibody to adult T-cell leukemia-virus-associated antigen: possible horizontal transmission of adult T-cell leukemia virus. Gan. 1982 Dec;73(6):893–901. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tuke P. W., Luton P., Garson J. A. Differential diagnosis of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections by restriction enzyme analysis of 'nested' PCR products. J Virol Methods. 1992 Nov;40(2):163–173. doi: 10.1016/0166-0934(92)90065-l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from BMJ : British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES