A report of a case of T-cell-derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia with antibodies to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigens.

A case of T-cell-derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia (T-CLL) with antibodies to adult T-cell leukemia (ATL)-associated antigens (ATLA) is reported. The patient had marked lymphocytosis consisting of peripheral cells that were shown to be T cells by their spontaneous sheep erythrocyte rosette formation and their OKT3 and OKT8 positivity, and in which ATLA were also detected after short-term culture of the cells in vitro. These findings suggest that adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV) might cause not only ATL but also some other lymphoid malignancies such as a type of T-CLL as in this case report. Nevertheless the occasional development of OKT8-positive T-CLL in a healthy carrier of ATLV in an ATL-endemic area cannot be disregarded.