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Lee HH, Galli C, Burczak JD, et al. A multicentric seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I/II in Italy. Clin Diagn Virol. 1994;2(3):139-47doi: 10.1016/0928-0197(94)90018-3.
Lee, H. H., Galli, C., Burczak, J. D., Biffoni, F., De Stasio, G., De Virgiliis, S., Fanetti, G., Lai, M. E., Mannella, E., Marinucci, G., Ongaro, G., Zehender, G., Zanetti, A. R. (1994). A multicentric seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I/II in Italy. Clinical and diagnostic virology, 2(3), 139-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/0928-0197(94)90018-3
Lee, H H, et al. "A multicentric seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I/II in Italy." Clinical and diagnostic virology vol. 2,3 (1994): 139-47. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0928-0197(94)90018-3
Lee HH, Galli C, Burczak JD, Biffoni F, De Stasio G, De Virgiliis S, Fanetti G, Lai ME, Mannella E, Marinucci G, Ongaro G, Zehender G, Zanetti AR. A multicentric seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I/II in Italy. Clin Diagn Virol. 1994 Jun;2(3):139-47. doi: 10.1016/0928-0197(94)90018-3. PMID: 15566761.
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Clin Diagn Virol. 1994 Jun;2(3):139-47. doi: 10.1016/0928-0197(94)90018-3.

A multicentric seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I/II in Italy.

Clinical and diagnostic virology

H H Lee, C Galli, J D Burczak, F Biffoni, G De Stasio, S De Virgiliis, G Fanetti, M E Lai, E Mannella, G Marinucci, G Ongaro, G Zehender, A R Zanetti,

Affiliations

  1. Abbott Diagnostics Division, One Abbott Park Road, D-9NW, AP-20, Abbott Park, North Chicago, IL 60064-3500, USA.

PMID: 15566761 DOI: 10.1016/0928-0197(94)90018-3

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Several studies carried out in the USA and in Europe have shown the presence of HTLV-I/II antibodies in subjects belonging to high-risk groups for HIV infection as well as blood donors. Concern about the presence of HTLV-I/II markers in the normal population, as well as the efficient transmission of HTLV-I/II by whole blood or infected blood cells have led several countries to include screening for anti-HTLV-I/II among the mandatory serological testing of blood donors.

OBJECTIVE: In order to assess the risk of HTLV-I/II infection related to blood transfusions, a multicentric survey for antibodies against HTLV-I and HTLV-II was carried out involving 10 Italian sites during the spring of 1991.

STUDY DESIGN: Serum specimens were collected from 14,598 blood donors, 1,411 injecting drug users, 1,015 thalassemics, 142 hemophiliacs and 138 hemodialysis patients. HTLV antibodies were detected by a screening EIA which combines a viral lysate with a recombinant HTLV-I env protein (p21e). The serological confirmation was performed by a semi-automated dot-blot immunoassay that detects gag p19 and p24 and env p21e specific antibodies, while the discrimination of HTLV-I and HTLV-II reactivities was carried out by EIAs employing synthetic peptides of the ENV region specific for each virus.

RESULTS: The seroprevalence of confirmed positives was 0.034% among blood donors and 3.61% among IDUs, while no sample of the other categories could be confirmed, although several were indeterminate and one thalassemic reacted against HTLV-I on peptide testing. HTLV-I reactivity was observed in one blood donor, while all 38 of the 51 confirmed seropositive IDU's reacted only to the HTLV-II synthetic peptide.

CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm a high prevalence of HTLV-II among Italian IDUs and show an HTLV-I/II seroprevalence among blood donors very similar to that which was found in the USA volunteer blood donors. A surveillance program among blood donors seems advisable in order to establish the possible need of a mandatory screening for HTLV-I/II.

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