New strain of human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type 3 in a Pygmy from Cameroon with peculiar HTLV serologic results.

Sara Calattini (1) , Edouard Betsem (1, 2) , Sylviane Bassot (1) , Sébastien Alain Chevalier (1) , Renaud Mahieux (1, 3) , Alain Froment (4, 5) , Antoine Gessain (1)

1 Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes
2 Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences Biomédicales
3 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine and Department of Biochemistry
4 ADENTHRO - Adaptations humaines aux environnements tropicaux durant l'Holocène
5 PALOC - Patrimoines Locaux et Gouvernance

A search for human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types 1 and 2 and related viruses was performed by serological and molecular means on samples obtained from 421 adult villagers from the southern Cameroon forest areas. One individual (a 56-year-old Baka Pygmy hunter) was found to be HTLV-3 infected; however, there was a low proviral load in blood cells. Complete sequence analysis of this virus (HTLV-3Lobak18) indicated a close relationship to human HTLV-3Pyl43 and simian STLV-3CTO604 strains. Plasma samples from Lobak18, the HTLV-3 infected individual, exhibited a peculiar "HTLV-2-like" pattern on Western blot analysis and were serologically untypeable by line immunoassay. These results were different from those for the 2 previously reported HTLV-3 strains, raising questions about serological confirmation of infection with such retroviruses.

Domaines: Virologie

Sara Calattini, Edouard Betsem, Sylviane Bassot, Sébastien Alain Chevalier, Renaud Mahieux, et al.. New strain of human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type 3 in a Pygmy from Cameroon with peculiar HTLV serologic results.. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2009, 199 (4), pp.561-4. ⟨10.1086/596206⟩. ⟨hal-00358082⟩