و بيماريهاي همراه HTLV1 عفونت

HTLV-I infection and Associated Diseases

Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV1), the first retrovirus detected in humans, is present throughout the world with small cluster of high endemicity located in areas where the virus is rare or absent. This highly restricted geographic seroprevalence is a remarkable feature of HTLV1 Epidemiology. Highly endemic areas (seroprevalence higher than 2 percent) include regions located in south western islands of Japan, the Caribbean, South Africa, intertropical Africa, Iran and in Melanesia. It is estimated that between 15-20 million people are infected worldwide, with about 2 to 10% developing during their lifetime an HTLV1 associated disease (ATL, HAM/TSP, uveitis, etc.). HTLVI has been the focus of many studies during the last two decades. In this article we aimed to overview the most recent advances in this field.