View clinical trials related to HTLV-I.
Filter by:Doctors of the University of West Indies, the Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) and the National Cancer Institute have been studying the epidemiology of HTLV-I and its role in the etiology and pathogenesis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ALT), and aggressive T-cell lymphoma. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate familial and genetic aspects of ATL and its relationship to two other HTLV-I related conditions, HTLV-I associated myelopathy also known as tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), and infective dermatitis. Enrollment of infective dermatitis cases was recently added and the disease entity is thought to be a harbinger for later development of either ATL or HAM/TSP. The purpose of this study is to interview patients with these conditions and perform laboratory studies (specifically, HLA and other viral or genetic studies) to better understand these diseases and their relationship to the HTLV-1 virus and the family history and genetic factors that may be involved as well.
Human T-lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I) is endemic in southern Japan and the Caribbean, but disease manifestations differ across geographic regions. Though age, gender, and route of infection may determine the natural history of this infection, the observed geographic differences also may, in part, reflect the distinct genetic background of the host as evidenced by the distribution of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and the presence of other environmental factors. Studies already completed or ongoing have shown notable differences in incidence and prevalence of HTLV-I associated diseases and underscore the need for comparative studies and analyses in these areas. This prospective new study of blood donors in Jamaica provides us with an opportunity to address many hypotheses regarding HTLV-I transmission and pathogenesis in the Caribbean in comparison with an ongoing cohort study of HTLV-I carriers in Japan. This study will - identify host factors associated with HTLV-I carrier status and HTLV-I pathogenesis. - directly calculate the incidence of HTLV-I associated diseases in this population. - examine the role of HTLV-I in the pathogenesis of other common infectious agents. Approximately 5,000+ blood donors who came to the National Blood Transfusion each year will be screened for HTLV-I serology. Of those who agreed to participate, all HTLV-I carriers and age-, and sex-matched HTLV-I-negatives will be invited to the University of the West Indies clinic for a full study enrollment. Study participants will be given a standardized questionnaire, a full physical examination, and a phlebotomy (25-30 mL), and will be followed every other year for interim health status and additional phlebotomy. All subjects will receive an ophthalmologic examination for detection of uveitis and other ocular diseases. Some subjects will be further referred to a neurologist, hematologist or dermatologist, according to their signs and symptoms. Approximately 1200 HTLV-I carriers and 600 HTLV-I negatives will be recruited for a longitudinal follow-up over the next 5-year period. Two types of analyses will be conducted: comparison of HTLV-I-positive and HTLV-I-negative subjects, and comparison among HTLV carriers between those with a high level of viral load and those with a low level.
To conduct epidemiological, laboratory, and survey research on volunteer blood donors within the United States to ensure the safety and availability of the United States' blood supply.
To conduct a multicenter epidemiologic study of the human retroviruses HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-I, and HTLV-II in volunteer blood donors from areas of the United States that were reportedly at high and medium or low risk for HIV. Also, to determine the prevalence of retrovirus seropositivity in first time blood donors; and the rate of retrovirus seroconversion in repeat blood donors as a measure of incidence of infection; to ascertain risk factors for antibody-positive donors; to characterize the blood donor population by geographic location, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and donation history to permit analysis on prevalence, incidence, and risk factors; to identify recipients of retrovirus-positive blood units and conduct clinical and laboratory follow-up of these recipients; and to establish a blood specimen repository for long-term storage of specimens from study donors and recipients for future testing.