Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences

Document Type : Brief Report(s)

Authors

Abstract

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I) was the first human retrovirus associated with malignancy.  The prevalence of HTLV-I infection varies significantly in different regions of the world.  In this study, the prevalence of HTLV-I infection among ethnic Jews living in Shiraz, South of Iran, was investigated. 286 blood samples were obtained.  HTLV-1 antibody assay on serum samples was done by standard ELISA method.  Western blot method was applied for confirmation of borderline results.None of the subjects was found HTLV-I seropositive using both ELISA and western blotting methods. Our preliminary results indicate that HTLV-I is not endemic in Jewish people living in Shiraz, the southwest of Iran.