Abstract
The effects of infection by human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) on lymphocyte subpopulations in hemodialysis (HD) patients were investigated using monoclonal antibodies on two occasions, in 1986 and 1992, 6 years apart. 1) In HD patients positive for anti-ATLA (adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigen) antibody (Ab), the percentages of OKT3 positive cells and OKT 8 positive cells were significantly higher after the 6-year interval. 2) Although at the start in 1986, there were no significant differences in lymphocyte subpopulations between patients positive and negative for anti-ATLA Ab, six years later the percentage of OKT8 positive cells was significantly higher, and the OKT4/OKT8 ratio lower in the patients positive for anti-ATLA Ab. Based on these findings, it is concluded that HTLV-I infection altered the lymphocyte subpopulations of the HD patients during the 6 year-period of infection.
