Seroepidemiologic Investigation of Human Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) Indeterminate Blood Donors from Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran

The indeterminate results of screening test for human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) has been a challenge in blood centers worldwide especially in endemic areas. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of HTLV-1/2 indeterminate profile among blood donors, as well as their epidemiological characteristics in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran. A total of 201719 blood donors were screened for HTLV-1/2 antibody by ELISA method. Repeatedly reactive samples were further evaluated by Western blot assay. ELISA and Western blot data collected from Negare software. Statistical analysis was performed using chi2 test. Three hundred and eighty samples were reported as indeterminate by Western blot analysis. The prevalence rate of HTLV indeterminate was calculated 0.19%. There was a significant difference between sex and age of HTLV indeterminate and positive cases. The prevalence of HTLV indeterminate rate was determined to be 0.19% in our donor population, a value that falls between the prevalence rate in endemic and non-endemic areas. Since there are reports of finding HTLV-1 genome in indeterminate subject and because of the existence of an association between some seroepidemiologic features of these cases and their prognosis, it is strongly recommended that a comprehensive study to be performed on indeterminate donors.