Fabiola Martin University of Queensland Last reviewed: November 2019 Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Human T-cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV) was discovered in 1980 (1). It is an oncovirus and human retrovirus (2) originating from non-human primates through interspecies transmission in Central Africa many thousands of years ago (3). Just like HIV, HTLV integrates itself into …
Worldwide, most people with HTLV infection are infected with type 1, which is divided into subgroups: A (Cosmopolitan), B (Central and West African), C (Australasian/Melanesian), D (Central African) and F (3). In Australia, HTLV-1C has been described in Central Australian Aboriginal people (5) but other subtypes may be observed in people originating from other parts …
HTLV-1 is a blood-borne and sexually transmissible virus that can be transmitted through infected body fluids, via condom-less sexual intercourse (10-13), breastfeeding (14-17), sharing of injection equipment (18-21), blood transfusion (22, 23) and transplantation of infected organs (24-28). As with most blood-borne/sexually transmissible viruses, most people with HTLV-1 infection transmit the virus unknowingly and are …
The algorithms for HLTV testing are similar to HIV testing. In Australia most public and private laboratories can test serum for HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). If the screening test is found to be reactive, a confirmatory antibody test is performed by Western Blot (WB) assay through the National Reference Laboratory. …
Although about 90% of people with HTLV-1 infection do not report specific symptoms, they have an increased life-time risk of HTLV-1 disease development which, amongst other risk factors, is very much dependent on HTLV-1 pro-viral DNA load. The lifetime probability of developing Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATL) is 4-5% for people infected with HTLV-1 (41, 42), …
HTLV-1 and -2 infection have been described in people with HIV-1, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (73). HTLV co-infections are more common than assumed, since HTLV infection is not routinely tested for in people who are diagnosed with other blood-borne/sexually transmissible infections (74, 75). It is estimated that rates of …
While there is currently no cure for HTLV-1 or HTLV-2 infection, treatment for HTLV-1 diseases and effective transmission prevention strategies are available. So far, 17 different prevention strategies are known to effectively reduce the risk of the transmission of blood-borne/sexually transmissible viruses, such as HBV, HCV and HIV-1 (91, 92). There is irrevocable evidence that …
There is no treatment or cure for HTLV infection, and none of the antiretroviral drugs active against HIV-1 are effective against HTLV-1 or HTLV-2. There is treatment for ATL, HAM/TSP, HTLV-1 associated uveitis and dermatitis. The new ATL treatment guidelines have been published (98) and the HAM/TSP international guidelines have been submitted for publication and …
People with HTLV infection need a comprehensive clinical examination and additional tests, depending on symptoms and disease manifestations, performed by their general practitioner with the support of a sexual health physician or infectious diseases physician (co-infections, partner and family testing) and neurologist, haematologist, respiratory physician, dermatologist, ophthalmologist or paediatrician. Pregnancy should be managed jointly with …
For further information or advice on patient management you can contact Dr Fabiola Martin directly on [email protected] or Tel number: 0415164873. Patient support is provided through www.htlvaware.com. Information on HTLV-1 can also be found at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/htlv-1-infection
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