A study of adult T cell leukemia

人类T淋巴细胞病毒I型(HTLV-I)是一种与成人T细胞白血病、HTLV-I相关性脊髓病/热带痉挛麻痹(HAM/TSP)相关的逆转录病毒，也可能与其他疾病相关。HTLV-I通过母乳、性交和血液传播。血清流行病学研究表明，日本西南部、加勒比海盆地、美国东南部和非洲中部有明显的HTLV-I及其相关疾病的地理聚集性。HTLV-I在世界各地的流行和分布尚不清楚，因为大多数血清流行病学研究中使用的实验室方法不能区分HTLV-I和-II。我们已经在墨西哥、古巴、泰国、英国、美国、巴西和巴布亚新几内亚调查了3年的HTLV-I血清阳性率。我们从每个国家获得了一些令人感兴趣的血清流行病学结果。1)墨西哥尤卡坦：8个人群中HTLV-I/II感染率很低(2.277例中有14例阳性)2)古巴：献血者以及血液病和非血液病患者中HTLV-I/II血清阳性率很低(2.429中1例阳性，5例不确定)3)泰国：恶性肿瘤患者中HTLV-I/II血清阳性率很低(882例中只有1例)4)巴西：献血者和血液病患者中HTLV-I/II血清阳性率很高我们在里约热内卢的两家医院诊断出20例成人T细胞白血病)

Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is a retrovirus associated with adult T cel1 leukemia, HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and possibly with other diseases. HTLV-I is transmitted via breast milk, sexual intercourse and through blood transmission. Seroepidemiological studies have been shown distinct geographic clusters of HTLV-I and its associated diseases in southwestern Japan, the Caribbean basin, the southeastern United States and central Africa. The prevalence and distribution of HTLV-I around the world is unknown because the laboratory procedures that have been used in most of the sera&&&& epidemiologic studies cannot distinguish between HTLV-I and-II.We have investigated the seroprevalence of HTLV-I in Mexico, Cuba, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, Brazil and Papua New Guinea for 3 years. We got some interested seropidemiological results from each countries.1) Yucatan, Mexico : a low prevalence of HTLV-I/II intection among eight population groups (14 positive cases of 2.277)2) Cuba : Very low seroprevalence of HTLV-I/II in blood donors and in hematological and nonhematological patients (one positive and 5 indeterminate cases of 2.429)3) Thailand : Very low seroprevalence of HTLV-I/II in patients with malignancies (only one case out of 882)4) Brazil : high seroprevalence of HTLV-I/II in blood donors and hematological disorders (in Recife 0.8% in donors was positive, and we diagnosed 20 cases as adult T cell leukemia in 2 hospitals in Rio de Janeiro)