501. High risk of mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-I in p40tax antibody-positive mothers.
- Author
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Sawada T, Tohmatsu J, Obara T, Koide A, Kamihira S, Ichimaru M, Kashiwagi S, Kajiyama W, Matsumura N, and Kinoshita K
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, HTLV-I Infections immunology, Humans, Lactation, Middle Aged, Pregnancy, Risk Factors, Trans-Activators, HTLV-I Antibodies analysis, HTLV-I Antigens immunology, HTLV-I Infections transmission, Transcription Factors immunology
- Abstract
A new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting the antibody to a human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) tax gene product, p40tax, has been developed. By this ELISA method, we have investigated the relationship between the presence of p40tax antibody in HTLV-I-infected mothers and the virus transmission rate from mothers to their children. The rate of mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-I was higher in p40tax antibody-positive mothers than in antibody-negative ones. Thus, the presence of p40tax antibody may indicate an increased risk of vertical transmission of HTLV-I.
- Published
- 1989
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