Acr. Vallinoto et al., SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HTLV-I AND HTLV-II COINFECTIONS IN HIV-1 POSITIVE PATIENTS IN BELEM, STATE OF PARA, BRAZIL, Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 93(3), 1998, pp. 407-409
The occurrence of HTLV-I/II and HIV-1 coinfections have been shown to
be frequently, probably in consequence of their similar modes of trans
mission. This paper presents the prevalence of coinfection of HTLV amo
ng HIV-1 infected and AIDS patients in Belem, State of Para, Brazil. A
group of 149 patients attending the AIDS Reference Unit of the State
Department of Health was tested for the presence of antibodies to HTLV
-I/II using an enzyme immunoassay and the positive reactions were conf
irmed with a Western blot that discriminates between HTLV-I and HTLV-I
I infections. Four patients (2.7%) were positive to HTLV-I, seven (4.7
%) to HTLV-II and one (0.7%) showed an indeterminate pattern of reacti
on. The present results show for the first time in Belem not only the
occurrence of HTLV-II/HIV-1 coinfections but also a higher prevalence
of HTLV-II in relation to HTLV-I. Furthermore, it also enlarges the ge
ographical limits of the endemic area for HTLV-II in the Amazon region
of Brazil.