Seroepidemiologic study of adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV) and hepatitis B virus infection in Okinawa, Japan.
A total of 2,283 serum samples were collected from healthy subjects in three islands of the Yaeyama district of Okinawa, Japan. These sera were tested for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), and for antibody to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigen (anti-ATLA). Correlation between hepatitis B virus infection and adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV) infection was determined by using the prevalence rates for three virus markers. Overall prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-ATLA was 6.5%, 57.4%, and 17.9%, respectively. Age-specific prevalence of anti-HBc and anti-ATLA increased with age, but that of HBsAg did not. Sex-specific prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in males than in females, but that of anti-ATLA was significantly higher in females than in males. Statistical analysis revealed that prevalence of anti-ATLA was significantly higher in HBsAg-positive persons and HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive persons than in those negative for HBsAg and anti-HBc. These data suggest that hepatitis B virus-infected persons have a significantly higher chance of adult T-cell leukemia virus infection than those without hepatitis B virus infection in the area studied.
Kashiwagi
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka.
Ikematsu
H
H
Hayashi
J
J
Kajiyama
W
W
Nomura
H
H
Noguchi
A
A
Tani
S
S
Goto
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male
D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens