Confirmatory molecular method for HTLV-1/2 infection in high-risk pregnant women

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1/2 (HTLV-1/2) are transmitted through sexual intercourse, transfusion of blood components, and vertical transmission, predominantly through breastfeeding. Six hundred forty-three pregnant women from a high-risk prenatal care unit at a general hospital were tested by serological tests using chemiluminescence (CMIA) for screening, followed by a molecular confirmatory test. Four patients (0.6%) tested positive for HTLV-1/2 by CMIA, two samples (0.3%) for each patient were confirmed as having HTLV-1 or HTLV-2 by PCR. The results show the importance of inclusion of HTLV-1/2 screening for pregnant women in high-risk prenatal care and the need for a molecular biological method to confirm HTLV-1/2 infection.