Natural antibodies to human retrovirus HTLV in a cluster of Japanese patients with adult T cell leukemia.
Human T cell lymphoma leukemia virus (HTLV) is a human retrovirus (RNA tumor virus) that was originally isolated from a few patients with leukemias or lymphomas involving mature T lymphocytes. Here we report that the serum of Japanese patients with adult T cell leukemia, but not the serum of tested normal donors, contains high titers of antibodies to HTLV. These observations, together with data from Japan showing that adult T cell leukemia is endemic in southwest Japan, suggest that HTLV is involved in a subtype of human T cell malignancy, including Japanese adult T cell leukemia.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
D000914:Antibodies, Viral