Phylogenetic Analysis and Frequency Estimation of HTLV-1 Virus in Hemophilic Patients Refer to Iranian Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center (ICHCC)

Abstract

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with the development of malignant diseases, particularly adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Hemophilia patients are at risk of acquiring blood–borne infections, making it critical to prevent the transmission of viral and other contaminants. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HTLV-1 in Iranian hemophilia patients who were referred to the Iranian Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center (ICHCC) and to analyze the results. A total of 320 blood samples were collected from hemophilia patients and screened using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Seropositive samples were confirmed by amplifying the long terminal repeat (LTR) region of HTLV-1 using nested PCR. The LTR region fragment was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed by MEGA 7 for phylogenetic analysis. Three out of four positive serological samples were confirmed using PCR, resulting in an HTLV-1 infection outbreak of 0.9%. Phylogenetic analysis of hemophilia patients infected with HTLV-1 revealed that the virus belongs to subtype a (Cosmopolitan) and subgroup A (Transcontinental). The findings suggest that hemophilia patients may be at high risk for HTLV-1 transmission. Furthermore, screening of blood and blood products can play a critical role in preventing the spread of the virus in endemic areas.