Hematological manifestations of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 infection: a possible association with autoimmune myelofibrosis.

Abstract

It is estimated that the human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects approximately 20 million people worldwide. Associated diseases, however, manifest only in 5–10% of infected individuals.1 Studies have shown that HTLV-1 is endemic in Southern Japan, the Caribbean, South America, Melanesian islands, Papua New Guinea, the Middle East and Central and Southern Africa. In Brazil, HTLV-1 infection is considered a public health concern as the country figures among the endemic areas in the world with prevalence rates from 1% to 5%.1 Since the discovery of HTLV-1 in 1979, it has been clearly associated with hematologic disorders, specifically with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive neoplasm