Increased prevalence of infectious diseases and other adverse outcomes in human T lymphotropic virus types I- and II-infected blood donors. Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS) Study Group

J Infect Dis. 1997 Dec;176(6):1468-75. doi: 10.1086/514143.

Abstract

Disease associations of human T lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I and -II) infection were studied in 154 HTLV-I-infected, 387 HTLV-II-infected, and 799 uninfected blood donors. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 99% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived from logistic regression models controlling for demographics and relevant confounders. All subjects were human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seronegative. HTLV-II was significantly associated with a history of pneumonia (OR, 2.6; 99% CI, 1.2-5.3), minor fungal infection (OR, 2.9; 99% CI, 1.2-7.1), and bladder or kidney infection (OR, 1.6; 99% CI, 1.0-2.5) within the past 5 years and with a lifetime history of tuberculosis (OR, 3.9; 99% CI, 1.3-11.6) and arthritis (OR, 1.8; 99% CI, 1.2-2.9). Lymphadenopathy (> or =1 cm) was associated with both HTLV-I (OR, 6.6; 99% CI, 2.2-19.2) and HTLV-II (OR, 2.8; 99% CI, 1.1-7.1) infection, although no case of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma was diagnosed. Urinary urgency and gait disturbance were associated with both viruses. This new finding of increased prevalence of a variety of infections in HTLV-II-positive donors suggests immunologic impairment.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arthritis / complications
  • Arthritis / epidemiology
  • Blood Donors
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • HTLV-I Infections / complications*
  • HTLV-I Infections / epidemiology
  • HTLV-II Infections / complications*
  • HTLV-II Infections / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Infections / complications*
  • Infections / diagnosis
  • Infections / epidemiology
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / complications
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / epidemiology
  • Logistic Models
  • Lymphatic Diseases / complications
  • Lymphatic Diseases / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycoses / complications
  • Mycoses / epidemiology
  • Odds Ratio
  • Pneumonia / complications
  • Pneumonia / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Tuberculosis / complications
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology
  • Urologic Diseases / complications
  • Urologic Diseases / epidemiology