Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma viruses. Life cycle, pathogenicity, epidemiology, and diagnosis.
Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) was discovered in 1980, and it subsequently was found to be the cause of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. A progressive neurologic disease known as tropical spastic paraparesis, or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, has also been linked to infection with HTLV-I. A related virus, HTLV type II (HTLV-II), has been isolated from patients with hairy-cell leukemia, but it has not been proved to be the cause of any disease. In late 1988, US blood banks began screening all blood donations for antibodies to HTLV-I/II. This program has resulted in the identification of many unexpectedly seropositive blood donors and provided much information about the prevalence of HTLV-I/II in the United States. In this article, I review the replication of these agents, as well as their pathogenesis, diagnosis, and mechanisms of spread.
Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131.
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D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000209:etiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012698:Serologic Tests