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Detection of human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I in a transfusion recipient with chronic myelopathy

Department of Neurology, Reed Neurological Research Center, Los Angeles, CA (Dr. Saxton)
Departments of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (Drs. Chen, Aboulafia, and Rosenblatt, Ms. Ruland, and Ms. Chin)
Division of Orthopedic Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (Dr. Delamarter)
Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL (Dr. Lee and Ms. Swanson).

A white man with a progressive spastic paraparesis that begem 15 months after sustaining severe trauma in a motor vehicle accident was positive for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum antibody to HTLV-I was confirmed by Western blot and radioimmunoprecipitation assay. We detected specific proviral DNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes by the polymerase chain reaction. Because the incidence of HTLV-I is generally restricted to Southern Japan and Caribbean black populations, the most likely source of HTLV-I infection in this patient was multiple intraoperative blood transfusions. The relatively short interval between transfusion and development of HTL V-I-associated myelopathy is consistent with the more rapid evolution of this clinical syndrome compared with adult T-cell leukemia.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Saxton, Department of Neurology, Reed Neurological Research Center, 710 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Received October 4, 1988. Accepted for publication in final form December 12, 1988.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Gessain and O. Gout Chronic Myelopathy Associated with Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I) Ann Intern Med, December 1, 1992; 117(11): 933 - 946. [Abstract] [PDF]