The bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leucosis. This study investigated the presence of the BLV in leukemia (179 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 292 acute myeloid leukemia and 46 chronic myelogenous leukemia cases) and 162 lung cancer patients (139 adenocarcinoma, 23 squamous cell carcinoma) to determine if the BLV is a causative organism of leukemia and lung cancer in Koreans. A BLV infection was confirmed in human cells by PCR using a BLV-8 primer combination. All 517 cases of human leukemia and 162 lung cancer were negative for a PCR of the BLV proviral DNA. In conclusion, although meat has been imported from BLV endemic areas, the BLV infection does not appear to be the cause of human leukemia or lung cancer in Koreans. These results can be used as a control for further studies on the BLV in Koreans.
Acute Disease ; Adenocarcinoma/virology ; Cell Line ; DNA, Viral/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukemia/*virology ; Leukemia Virus, Bovine/*genetics ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute/virology ; Leukemia, Myeloid/virology ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic/virology ; Lung Neoplasms/*virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Proviruses/*genetics

The clinicopathologic features of a Korean patient with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma(ATLL) are presented. A 51-year-old man, who has lived in Korea since birth, had multiple cutaneous nodules and multiple lymphadenopathy for the previous two months. A histopathologic study of the lymph node and skin lesion revealed T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of pleomorphic type, medium and large cell type. Peripheral blood examination showed leukemic features with 30% of abnormal lymphoid cells. HTLV-I proviral DNA pX region was detected in the DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) and the specific gag, pol, and env HTLV-I sequences were detected in the lymph node using polymerase chain reaction technique. Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma type I(HTLV-I) antibodies were present in the serum. An immunophenotypic study of the lymph node revealed CD4 positive and CD8 negative helper/inducer T cell type surface markers. This case is the acute type, i.e. prototypic ATLL. He was treated with an intensive chemotherapy including cyclophosphamide, etoposide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone. Despite initial transient improvement, the tumor progressed after three cycles of the regimen and became refractory to further chemotherapy. These clinicopathologic findings, including the immunophenotypic analysis, established with certainty the diagnosis of HTLV-I-induced adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use ; Case Report ; Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage ; DNA, Viral/blood ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Etoposide/administration & dosage ; Human ; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1/isolation & purification ; Immunophenotyping ; Korea/epidemiology ; Leukemia-Lymphoma, T-Cell, Acute, HTLV-I-Associated/drug therapy/epidemiology/pathology/virology ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prednisone/administration & dosage ; Proviruses/isolation & purification ; Tumor Stem Cells/chemistry/pathology ; Vincristine/administration & dosage