Predictors of level of circulating abnormal lymphocytes among human T-lymphotropic virus type I carriers in Japan

✍ Scribed by Michie Hisada; Akihiko Okayama; Nobuyoshi Tachibana; Sherri O. Stuver; Donna L. Spiegelman; Hirohito Tsubouchi; Nancy E. Mueller

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 73 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19980717)77:2<188::aid-ijc3>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) carriers often have abnormal lymphocytes (Ably) that resemble malignant cells of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL).

To identify predictors of the level of Ably in a longitudinal study of asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers, we analyzed data from 215 subjects (67 men and 148 women) with multiple Ably measurements on blood smears. Ably ؉ (those having Ably Ͼ 0.6% of leukocytes counted on a blood smear at least once) was strongly associated with a high proviral load (OR 8.9; 95% CI 4.1, 19.5). The association among those defined as Ably ؉؉ (Ably Ͼ 0.6% at all screens or Ably Ͼ 1.6% at least once) was higher (19.7; 6.9, 56.1). Ably ؉؉ was also significantly associated with male gender (2.8; 1.0, 7.8). Multivariate analysis of Ably level indicates that men with a high proviral load, high anti-HTLV-I titer and low anti-Tax reactivity have the highest Ably level.