Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type Antibody in Patientson Chronic Hemodialysis in Fukuoka, Japan

Abstract

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 antibody (anti-HTLV1) was examined in 403 patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) in Fukuoka, Japan, where HTLV-1 is endemic. The anti-HTLV1 positive rate was significantly greater in patients with a history of blood transfusion than in those without it (19.3% vs. 7.3%, p<0.05). However, the anti-HTLV1 positive rate in the latter group of HD patients was still 3.1 times higher than that in healthy blood donors from Fukuoka prefecture after adjustment for age and sex. In addition, positive rate of anti-HTLV1 increased with the duration of HD regardless of a history of blood transfusion. These results suggest that blood transfusion was a major route of HTLV1 infection in HD patients but that HD treatment itself might also increase the risk of HTLV1 infection.