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Detection of Antibodies to HTLV-I and -III in Sera from Japanese Hemophiliacs¹

Research Division, Shinrakuen Hospital, Niigata, Japan [T. A., H. M.]; Department of Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan [T. A., T. K., J. M., T. R.]; Division of Cell Biology, Biotech Research Laboratories, Rockville, Maryland 20851 [R. C. T.]; and Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20205 [M. R-G., R. C. G.]

Sera from 50 Japanese hemophiliacs were screened for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic retrovirus types I and III (HTLV-I and -III). As a whole, antibody to HTLV-I, antibody to HTLV-III, and antibodies to HTLV-I and -III were detected in sera from 2, 17, and 6 hemophiliacs, respectively. Among them, two hemophiliacs developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who were positive for both antibodies to HTLV-I and -III in sera. All of the others were asymptomatic. Most of the blood products transfused into these hemophiliacs were imported from abroad, whence the source of HTLV-III infection presumably originated. However, since quite a high percentage of these antibody-positive hemophiliacs was positive for antibody to HTLV-I, even though they are native residents in HTLV-I nonendemic areas of Japan, some special factors may have participated in HTLV-I infection. These special factors should be investigated in the future.