Heterogeneous geographic distribution of human T-cell lymphotropic virus I (HTLV-I) and epidemiological, genomical, pathophysiologic, therapeutic knowledge about HTLV

Abstract

Human T-Cell leukemia Virus-1 also called the adult T-cell lymphoma virus type 1, is a retrovirus of the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) family, responsible for various life threatening diseases such as Adult T-cell Leukemia (ATL) chronic inflammatory CNS disease named as Tropical Spastic Parapariesis/ HTLV-1 Associated Myelopathy (TSP/HAM). About 1–5% of infected persons are thought to develop cancer as a result of the infection with HTLV-I over their lifetimes. It is also observed that majority of the carriers of HTLV-1 remains asymptomatic throughout their whole life. Genetically factors and immunological status of the host determines the causation of associated diseases of HTLV-1. The objective of this review is to provide a good update on epidemiological, genomical, pathophysiologic, therapeutic knowledge about HTLV, and also provide knowledge about diagnostic suspicion and criteria, treatment, transmission and prevention of the disease.