Relative Frequency of HTLV-І Infection in Blood Donors in Ahvaz, Southwest of Iran

Parsanahad, Mehdi; Nashibi, Roohangize; Makvandi, Manoochehr; Ahmadi, Fateme; Helli, Bijan; Lotfi, Zahra

doi:10.22092/ari.2025.365906.3182

Relative Frequency of HTLV-І Infection in Blood Donors in Ahvaz, Southwest of Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

¹ Virology Department, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

² Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

³ Virology Department, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of medical sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

⁴ Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of medical sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

⁵ Ahvaz Jundishapur University of medical sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22092/ari.2025.365906.3182

Abstract

Abstract
Introduction: Human T-lymphotropic virus type І (HTLV-І) is known as the first human retrovirus. It is one of the health problems in endemic regions and HTLV-1 is transmitted primarily through infected bodily fluids including blood, breast milk and semen. Risk factors include unprotected sex, injecting drug use and transplantation of tissue, blood and blood products. HTLV-І is associated with two important disease, including adult T-cell leukemia and tropical spastic paraparesis. Geographic distribution of HTLV-І is different in the world as well as in Iran. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of the HTLV-І virus in blood donors in Ahvaz.
Material and Method: In this cross-sectional study 777 blood donors including 771 (99.2%) males and 6 (0.8%) females with mean age of 38.08 ± 8.42 were enrolled. All the blood samples were tested for HTLV-І antibody by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) according to the manufactures instructions. Positive cases were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the positive ELISA blood sample.
Results: One out of 777 (0.1%) blood donors was positive for HTLV-І antibody. The donor was a 35-year-old man, married, with no history of blood transfusion, surgery, dialysis, drug injection, and phlebotomy and high risk sexual behaviors in himself or in his wife. The result of PCR was reported negative.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggests that HTLV-І infection not prevalent in blood donor in Ahvaz and screening of blood samples in Ahvaz does not appear to be necessary for HTLV-І infection.
Keyword: HTLV-І; Blood donors; Ahvaz; Endemic

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