The reasons to include the serology of human T-lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) in the clinical follow-up of patients with viral hepatitis B and C in Brazil.
Karoline Rodrigues CamposFabiana Aparecida AlvesMarcílio Figueiredo LemosRegina Célia MoreiraRosa Maria Nascimento MarcussoAdele Caterino-de-AraujoPublished in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases (2020)
HTLV-2 positively impacts HBV and HCV viral loads and HCV clearance, while HIV and/or HTLV-1 negatively impacts HCV viral load. Thus, the search for HTLV-1/-2 in viral hepatitis B and C infected patients has virological prognostic value, which is a strong reason to suggest including HTLV serology in the follow-up of patients.