High Prevalence of HTLV-1 Infection Among Hemodialysis Patients in Neyshabur, Northeast of Iran

Abstract

Background: Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection has known to be endemic in various regions of the world, including northeastern Iran. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection and its related factors among hemodialysis (HD) patients in Neyshabur, northeast of Iran. Methods: Serum samples of 138 HD patients were screened for HTLV-1 antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and seroreactive samples were confirmed by a line immunoassay. Results: The participants included 76 (55.1%) males and 62 (44.9%) females aged 12 - 84 years. HTLV-1 seropositivity was detected in 20 (14.5%) cases, all of which were confirmed by the line immunoassay. No significant difference was observed between males and females (10.5% vs. 19.3%; P = 0.143). However, there was a significant association between HTLV-1 seropositivity and patients’ age (P = 0.028). Conclusions: The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among HD patients in northeastern Iran was considerably higher than that reported from other endemic areas. It seems that more specific preventive measures are required to be applied by local health authorities to control the infection.