Anti-HTLV-III and anti-HTLV-I antibodies and T cell subsets in hemophiliacs living in HTLV-I endemic and nonendemic areas of Japan.
Sera from 154 hemophiliacs, including 132 with hemophilia A and 22 with hemophilia B, were examined for antibodies against human T cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) and type I by strip radioimmunoassay based on the Western blotting technique. Sixty-two patients lived in Kyushu, a known endemic area of HTLV-I and 92 patients lived in Tokyo, a nonendemic area of HTLV-I. Results showed a prevalence of HTLV-III antibodies of 64.5% in Kyushu and of 57.6% in Tokyo. There were no significant differences between these two groups. Helper/suppressor (T4/T8) ratios of seropositive patients were 0.69 +/- 0.41 and those of seronegative patients were 1.05 +/- 0.56. Ratios of both groups were lower than those of normal healthy people (1.35 +/- 0.45). Our findings confirmed that hemophiliacs living in an HTLV-I endemic area and those living in a nonendemic area in Japan equally possessed antibodies to HTLV-III. Low T4/T8 ratios and increases of serum IgG and IgM levels were found even in seronegative hemophiliacs.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology*; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007564:Japan; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins