Antibodies to adult t‐cell leukemia‐virus‐associated antigen (atla) in sera from patients with atl and controls in japan: A nation‐wide sero‐epidemiologic study

Abstract

A nation-wide sero-epidemiologic survey of adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV), detected es anti-ATLA (ATLV-associated antigen), was made in Japan. Sera from adult donors in 15 different locations were screened for anti-ATLA. High incidences (6 to 37%) of antibody-positive donors were found in seven regions, one in northern Japan, and the others in southwestern regions. These areas are ATLV-endemic areas corresponding to ATL-endemic areas. Examination of sera from healthy donors aged 6 to 80 years in ATL-endemic areas showed an age-dependent increase of seropositive donors with a maximum of about 30% at 40 years of age. Anti-ATLA was found in all but two of 142 patients with ATL. Anti-ATLA-positive patients with ATL were mainly found in ATLV-endemic areas, and only a few in ATL-nonendemic areas. Six patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in ATLV-nonendemic areas gave a negative reaction for anti-ATLA. The geometric mean titer of anti-ATLA of patients with ATL was higher than that of healthy donors.

Role of tumor suppressor genes in the development of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL)

“…[5][6][7][8] ATLL is prevalent in these areas, 9 and occurs sporadically in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States. [10][11][12][13][14] ATLL has been classified into four main subtypes. 15 In the relatively indolent smoldering and chronic forms, the median survival is 2 years or more.…”

Functional interaction of the HTLV-1 transactivator Tax with activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4)

“…Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of at least two human diseases, namely adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) (Poiesz et al, 1980;Hinuma et al, 1982) and a degenerative neurological disorder known as tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) (Gessian et al, 1985;Osame et al, 1986). In addition to the common retrovirus structural genes gag, pol and env, HTLV-1 encodes at least two additional regulatory genes, tax and rex, which are crucial for viral gene expression and pathogenesis (Cullen, 1992).…”

Discovery of HTLV-1, the first human retrovirus, its unique regulatory mechanisms, and insights into pathogenesis

“…The most striking feature of the disease was the Kyushu (West part of Japan) origin of most of the patients who were identified in Kyoto where Takatsuki's group performed their research. Takatsuki's findings were later confirmed by extensive epidemiology and a clear clustering of ATL cases in the Kyushu area strongly suggested a unique etiology (Hinuma et al, 1981a). At the time, this novel discovery elicited enormous attention from physicians, virologists, epidemiologists and oncologists, but still there was no clue as to how to search for an etiology.…”