title: HTLV-I-associated adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma in two patients from Bucharest, Romania.
abstract: Two middle-aged patients with T cell lymphoma, both natives of Bucharest, Romania, tested positive for HTLV-I antibodies. Malignant cells had the typical phenotype and morphology of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Both cases presented with extranodal manifestation, hypercalcemia, early recurrence after initial responses to therapy, and subsequent resistance to conventional and intensified chemotherapy. Infection with HTLV-I was confirmed by PCR analyses of serial biopsies. Neither patient reported known risk factors for HTLV-I infection. This report points to the possibility that Romania may represent an endemic area for HTLV-I and should heighten the awareness towards HTLV-I infections in Romanian patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I (Hematology/Oncology), Freiburg University Medical Center, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Veelken
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dierbach
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mertelsmann
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lübbert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D001706:Biopsy; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012383:Romania
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies