Tajima K, Tominaga S, Shimizu H, Suchi T
Gan. 1981 Oct;72(5):684-91.
The results of the nationwide survey performed by the T- and B-cell Malignancy Study Group revealed that adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) was prevalent in limited zones in Kyushu, mainly in coastal areas, warm in winter and humid in summer. It was found that the geographical distribution of filariasis was very similar to that of ATLL. It is known that filariasis affects lymphatic vessels and results in several lymphoreticular ailments, and microfilaria is transmitted by mosquitoes infected with some kinds of not yet fully identified viruses. From analyses of the time trends of the average weight and height of school children by prefecture, it is suggested that the nutritional condition of inhabitants in Kyushu might have been poorer than that of inhabitants of other areas in Japan, especially in the past. In order to elucidate the etiology of ATLL, relevant geographic-pathological information and other related information was accumulated and an etiological hypothesis was formulated. It was hypothesised that repeated exposure to filarial antigen and some viruses might have played an important role in the etiology of ATLL and that undernutrition had also contributed to the progression of ATLL.
T细胞和B细胞恶性肿瘤研究小组进行的全国性调查结果显示，成人T细胞白血病/淋巴瘤（ATLL）在九州的有限区域流行，主要在沿海地区，冬季温暖，夏季潮湿。研究发现，丝虫病的地理分布与ATLL非常相似。众所周知，丝虫病会影响淋巴管并导致多种淋巴网状疾病，微丝蚴由感染了某些尚未完全鉴定的病毒的蚊子传播。通过对各县学童平均体重和身高的时间趋势分析表明，九州居民的营养状况可能比日本其他地区的居民更差，尤其是在过去。为了阐明ATLL的病因，积累了相关的地理病理学信息和其他相关信息，并提出了病因假说。据推测，反复接触丝虫抗原和某些病毒可能在ATLL的病因中起重要作用，而营养不良也促进了ATLL的发展。
