Transfusion-mediated spread of the human T-cell leukemia virus in chronic hemodialysis patients in a heavily endemic area, Nagasaki.

The incidence of anti-adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigens (ATLA) was surveyed in 134 patients under chronic hemodialysis in the Nagasaki area, as well as 4708 blood donors resident in the same area as controls: 23 patients (17%) and 201 donors (4.3%) were positive for anti-ATLA antibody. All seropositive patients were found to have had a positive history of blood transfusions. Seroconversions were confirmed in 9 cases, all of them after initiation of transfusions. In total, 216 units of blood were transfused in 7 seroconverted patients, and this is consistent with the estimated rate of anti-ATLA antibody-positive donor blood supplied by the Red Cross Nagasaki Blood Center (5%).