The Frequency and Risk Factors of Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type I among Blood Donors in Khorasan-e Razavi, Iran, from 2002 to 2013.

INTRODUCTION

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I) is the causative agent for adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATLL) and HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. The virus is endemic in the parts of Iran. This study is conducted to determine the trends in the frequency of HTLV-I in Mashhad, a city in Khorasan-e Razavi province, Iran, over 11 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Blood bank records of blood donors positive for HTLV-I were collected from different blood banks across Mashhad between 2002 and 2013. Obtained data were first entered into paper versions and then were analyzed by SPSS version 11.5. HTLV-I antibody was firstly measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and later confirmed by the Western Blot (WB).

RESULTS

During the study period, 983,000 donors were examined by ELISA and WB, among whom 2921 cases (0.297%) were positive HTLV-I carriers. The highest and lowest frequency of carriers was 0.451% and 0.098%, respectively. The most significant factor was related to marital status (85.2%) and the smallest significant factor was associated with the history of acupuncture (0.3%) according to the different risk factors.

CONCLUSION

The frequency of HTLV-I carriers among blood donors was significantly decreased in this period. Screening of blood donors for HTLV-I infection played a significant role in this reduction.