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HTLV-I infection in french west indies: A case-control study

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Abstract

A case-control study was performed in Martinique, French West Indies, comparing 66 anti-p24 antibody carriers to 91 seronegative subjects for HTLV-I, matched for age and place of residence. The aim of our study was to identify factors associated with HTLV-I infection and to observe whether clinical examination and biological measurements would reveal any abnormalities among the seropositive subjects.

We observed a predominance of females among seropositive subjects (74% compared to 59%, p < 0.05), and a greater risk due to earlier blood transfusions (p < 0.001). This survey revealed important differences between cases and controls regarding socioeconomic factors: cases had fewer luxuries or advantages (i.e. bathroom, toilets, refrigerator, telephone, p < 0.01), were more corpulent (p < 0.05), and more often widowed, divorced or separated (p < 0.01) than the controls. Although the differences were not significant, the seropositive donors seemed to be less educated, and were from a lower socioprofessional class than the seronegative donors. With regard to clinical symptoms (infections, adenopathies, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly) and biological parameters (blood count, T-cell subsets, electrophoresis of protids, immunoglobulins, calcemia antischistosomal antibody), seropositive subjects appeared to be healthy; no parameters, except for a 1 globulin (p < 0.05) and monocytes (p < 0.05), were found to be correlated with seropositivity; but these two parameters remained within their normal ranges.

This study confirms blood transfusion as a risk factor. It underscored the importance of ocioeconomic factors for seropositivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Recherches en épidémiologie: INSERM U169, 16 Ave Paul- Vaillant Couturier, 94807, Villejuif Cedex, France

    N. Frery & M. Chavance

  2. Centre de transfusion Sanguine de la MARTINIQUE, Fort de France, France

    I. Valette & . Monplaisir

  3. Immunologie cellulaire et moléculaire, INSERM U210, Nice, France

    L. Schaffar

  4. Hopital de La Meynard, service de parasitologie, Fort de France, France

    C. Neisson-Vernant

  5. Hopital de La Meynard, service d'hématologie, Fort de France, France

    J. Jouannelle

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  1. N. Frery
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Frery, N., Chavance, M., Valette, I. et al. HTLV-I infection in french west indies: A case-control study. Eur J Epidemiol 7, 175–182 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237363

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