ETHNIC CLUSTER OF HTLV-I INFECTION IN ISRAEL AMONG THE MASHHADI JEWISH POPULATION

A high prevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infect ion among Israeli Jews was previously reported. In the present study, screening for HTLV-I of Israeli Jews was expanded to 10 ethnic groups. HTLV-I antibodies were tested by the particle agglutination assay, EL ISA, and by Western blot as a confirmatory method. The HTLV-I proviral genome was tested by nested PCR with tax primers (SK43/SK44 and Tr101 /Tr102). The PCR tests were carried out in all seropositive subjects a nd the seronegative family members of the seropositives subjects in th e Iranian population. Sixty-eight of the 1,679 subjects (4.1%) were fo und to be seropositive. The Jews originating from Mashhad had the high est infection rate of 60/306 (20%). Of the 479 Iranian non-Mashhadi Je ws, 6 (1.3%) were seropositive. Of the 894 non-iranian Israelis, only 2 (0.2%) were seropositive. HTLV-I proviral DNAA was found in the peri pheral blood lymphocytes of 66 out of 68 seropositive subjects and 6 o ut of 75 seronegative subjects. Sixty out of 123 (49%) Mashhadi Jews a nd 8 out of 14 (57%) non-Mashhadi Iranian Jews were PCR-positive. Thre e out of three seropositive non-iranian Israelis were PCR positive. On e non-iranian Israeli (who originated from Ukraine) without family con nections to the Iranian Jews was also PCR-positive. One hundred eighte en saliva samples (84 from subjects of Mashhadi origin, 31 from Irania n origin, and 4 of other origins) were also screened. Antibodies for H TLV-I were found in 23 out of 46 saliva samples from the individuals w ith particle agglutination (PA) and/or PCR-positive findings in blood. Twenty out of 23 PA-positive saliva samples also contained the provir al DNA. It is concluded that HTLV-I infection in Israel is mainly limi ted to Jews originating from iran (most of them from Mashhad) and thei r family members. J. Mad. Virol. 56:269-274, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss , Inc.