Transfusion-mediated spread of the human T-cell leukemia virus in chronic hemodialysis patients in a heavily endemic area, Nagasaki.
The incidence of anti-adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigens (ATLA) was surveyed in 134 patients under chronic hemodialysis in the Nagasaki area, as well as 4708 blood donors resident in the same area as controls: 23 patients (17%) and 201 donors (4.3%) were positive for anti-ATLA antibody. All seropositive patients were found to have had a positive history of blood transfusions. Seroconversions were confirmed in 9 cases, all of them after initiation of transfusions. In total, 216 units of blood were transfused in 7 seroconverted patients, and this is consistent with the estimated rate of anti-ATLA antibody-positive donor blood supplied by the Red Cross Nagasaki Blood Center (5%).
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007938:Leukemia / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D000914:Antibodies, Viral