Iran J Public Health. 2025 Dec;54(12):2764-2772. doi: 10.18502/ijph.v54i12.20847.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is considered a health issue in Iran. However, its genetic diversity and molecular epidemiologic phylogeny remain poorly characterized.
METHODS: The Tax gene of 9 asymptomatic individuals across Alborz, Gilan, and Ardabil provinces of Iran was sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically using MEGA-X.
RESULTS: All strains clustered within the Cosmopolitan subtype a, showing high genetic similarity to Japanese and Chinese references. Positive selection (dN/dS > 1) was observed in all samples. Strikingly, the Alborz ISO32 strain exhibited 10 unique nonsynonymous mutations, suggesting regional evolutionary divergence.
CONCLUSION: This study, as the first multi-provincial study in Iran, reveals the essential requirement for systematic tracking of HTLV-1 genetic diversity and designing prevention programs tailored to each region.
PMID:42548947 | PMC:PMC13430151 | DOI:10.18502/ijph.v54i12.20847
