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Studies in healthy human T‐cell‐leukemia lymphoma virus (HTLV‐I) carriers from the Caribbean
Author(s) -
Matutes E.,
Dalgleish A. G.,
Weiss R. A.,
Joseph A. P.,
Catovsky D.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910380108
Subject(s) - leukemia , retrovirus , virology , antibody , monoclonal antibody , virus , lymphoma , receptor , immunology , population , biology , human t lymphotropic virus 1 , t cell leukemia , interleukin 2 , monoclonal , medicine , cytokine , environmental health
Six healthy relatives of 3 adult T‐cell leukemia lymphoma (ATLL) patients and 6 members of a Caribbean family immigrant to the UK have been investigated for the presence of HTLV‐I and expression of interleukin 2 (IL‐2) receptors. Serum antibodies to HTLV‐I were detected in all but 4 samples. Four to 10% of circulating cells from 3/4 seropositive donors studied displayed IL‐2 receptors (anti‐Tac+) and were shown to be convoluted lymphocytes by light microscopy morphology and immunoelectronmicroscopy. After 5 to 28 days in culture, cells from 4 seropositive donors reacted with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the HTLV‐I core proteins, p19 and p24, and released retrovirus particles. Similar experiments with blood from 3 seronegative donors from the same families and 4 normal controls proved negative. Our findings indicate that seropositive individuals harbour the virus in a population of T‐lymphocytes which may then acquire receptors for IL‐2. These individuals are at risk of developing ATLL.