BACKGROUND: HTLV-2 infection is prevalent among intravenous drug users (IDUs), which often are coinfected with HIV-1. Two main subtypes, HTLV-2a and -2b, have been described among European IDUs, with a characteristically geographic distribution: IIa in northern Europe and IIb in the south. Although frequent traveling within Europe might have favoured a wide dissemination of diverse HTLV-2 variants, HTLV-2b was so far the only subtype reported in Spain. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current molecular epidemiology of HTLV-2 in Spain. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-six new HTLV-2 strains isolated from IDUs over the last 11 years in different geographic regions were examined. The HTLV LTR region (620bp) was sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Endonuclease restriction sites were examined to further characterize the HTLV-2 subgroup. RESULTS: All 26 individuals infected with HTLV-2 showed viruses belonging to the HTLV-2 b4 clade and were closely related to the previously reported HTLV-2 Spanish and Italian IDU isolates. CONCLUSIONS: HTLV-2 subtype b4 continues to be the only HTLV-2 subgroup recognized so far in Spain and no introduction of other HTLV-2 variants has occurred over the last 11 years.
BACKGROUND:HTLV-2 infection is prevalent among intravenous drug users (IDUs), which often are coinfected with HIV-1. Two main subtypes, HTLV-2a and -2b, have been described among European IDUs, with a characteristically geographic distribution: IIa in northern Europe and IIb in the south. Although frequent traveling within Europe might have favoured a wide dissemination of diverse HTLV-2 variants, HTLV-2b was so far the only subtype reported in Spain. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current molecular epidemiology of HTLV-2 in Spain. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-six new HTLV-2 strains isolated from IDUs over the last 11 years in different geographic regions were examined. The HTLV LTR region (620bp) was sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Endonuclease restriction sites were examined to further characterize the HTLV-2 subgroup. RESULTS: All 26 individuals infected with HTLV-2 showed viruses belonging to the HTLV-2 b4 clade and were closely related to the previously reported HTLV-2 Spanish and Italian IDU isolates. CONCLUSIONS:HTLV-2 subtype b4 continues to be the only HTLV-2 subgroup recognized so far in Spain and no introduction of other HTLV-2 variants has occurred over the last 11 years.
Authors: Ana Treviño; Antonio Aguilera; Estrella Caballero; Rafael Benito; Patricia Parra; Jose M Eiros; Araceli Hernandez; Enrique Calderón; Manuel Rodríguez; Alvaro Torres; Juan García; Jose Manuel Ramos; Lourdes Roc; Goitzane Marcaida; Carmen Rodríguez; Matilde Trigo; Cesar Gomez; Raul Ortíz de Lejarazu; Carmen de Mendoza; Vincent Soriano Journal: Virol J Date: 2012-03-23 Impact factor: 4.099