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Human T‐lymphotropic virus type I among blood donors from Guadeloupe: donation, demographic, and biologic characteristics
Author(s) -
Rouet F.,
Foucher C.,
Rabier M.,
Gawronski I.,
Taverne D.,
Chancerel B.,
Casman O.,
Strobel M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1999.39060639.x
Subject(s) - human t lymphotropic virus , medicine , antibody , odds ratio , hepatitis c virus , immunology , hepatitis b virus , virus , blood donor , virology , donation , demography , myelopathy , psychiatry , sociology , spinal cord , economics , economic growth
BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic data on human T‐lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) are scant. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: From January 1989 to December 1996, 59,426 blood donors were screened by enzyme immunoassay for antibodies to HTLV‐I. All repeatedly reactive samples were confirmed by Western blot. Temporal trends in HTLV‐I seropositivity rates were examined during the study period. A multivariate analysis of donation, demographic, and biologic characteristics was performed. RESULTS: Of the screened blood donors, 195 were confirmed as seropositive, for an overall prevalence of 0.33 percent (95% CI 0.28‐0.38). A marked decrease in overall HTLV‐I prevalence with time (from 0.47% in 1989 to 0.13% in 1996) was observed, which can be explained mainly by the decreasing percentage of recruited new donors during the study period. Four independent risk factors for HTLV‐I were identified: new donor status (odds ratio [OR] 12.5), female sex (OR 1.7), increasing age (30‐39 years: OR, 2.4; 40‐49 years: OR, 3.7; >50 years: OR 6.6), and positive antibodies to hepatitis B virus core antigen (OR, 1.7). Selection of specific locations for blood collection was inversely associated with HTLV‐I (OR 0.5). CONCLUSION: New donor status, advancing age, female sex, and positivity for hepatitis B virus core antibodies were the major factors associated with HTLV‐I infection in Guadeloupe.