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Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the kinetic surface roughening in electrochemical dissolution of nickel films at a low constant current density was studied in order to reveal the scaling laws. The surface measurements of AFM exhibited the oscillatory variation of the interface width with time, which made it impossible to determine the growth exponent β. The oscillatory behavior of surface roughening was explained by the presence of unstable passive films formed on the nickel film surface. The roughness exponent α=0.94±0.04 calculated from the AFM images of the anodic dissolved surface was almost equal to that predicted by the diffusion-driven growth model. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been several reports of secondary anemia associated with Graves' disease. There are no reports of secondary anemia resulting from thyrotoxicosis due to painless thyroiditis (silent thyroiditis). We report the case of a patient with pancreatic diabetes who developed anemia caused by thyrotoxicosis due to painless thyroiditis., Case Presentation: The patient was a 37-year-old man who visited the hospital complaining of fatigue, palpitations, and dyspnea. His hemoglobin was 110 g/l (reference range, 135-176), and mean corpuscular volume was 81.5 fl (81.7-101.6). His free thyroxine (FT4) was high, at 100.4 pmol/l (11.6-21.9); the free triiodothyronine (FT3) was high, at 27.49 pmol/l (3.53-6.14); TSH was low, at < 0.01 mIU/l (0.50-5.00); and TSH receptor antibody was negative. Soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) was high, at 1340 U/ml (122-496); C-reactive protein (CRP) was high, at 6900 μg/l (< 3000); and reticulocytes was high, at 108 10 9 /l (30-100). Serum iron (Fe) was 9.5 (9.1-35.5), ferritin was 389 μg/l (13-401), haptoglobin was 0.66 g/l (0.19-1.70. Propranolol was prescribed and followed up. Anemia completely disappeared by 12 weeks after disease onset. Thyroid hormones and sIL-2R had normalized by 16 weeks after onset. He developed mild hypothyroidism and was treated with L-thyroxine at 24 weeks., Conclusions: This is the first case report of transient secondary anemia associated with thyrotoxicosis due to painless thyroiditis. The change in sIL-2R was also observed during the clinical course of thyrotoxicosis and anemia, suggesting the immune processes in thyroid gland and bone marrow.

Genetic alterations in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a T-cell malignancy associated with HTLV-1, and their clinical impacts, especially from the perspective of viral strains, are not fully elucidated. We employed targeted next-generation sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism array for 89 patients with ATLL in Okinawa, the southernmost islands in Japan, where the frequency of HTLV-1 tax subgroup-A (HTLV-1-taxA) is notably higher than that in mainland Japan, where most ATLL cases have HTLV-1-taxB, and compared the results with previously reported genomic landscapes of ATLL in mainland Japan and the USA. Okinawan patients exhibited similar mutation profiles to mainland Japanese patients, with frequent alterations in TCR/NF-ĸB (eg, PRKCB, PLCG1, and CARD11) and T-cell trafficking pathways (CCR4 and CCR7), in contrast with North American patients who exhibited a predominance of epigenome-associated gene mutations. Some mutations, especially GATA3 and RHOA, were detected more frequently in Okinawan patients than in mainland Japanese patients. Compared to HTLV-1-taxB, HTLV-1-taxA was significantly dominant in Okinawan patients with these mutations (GATA3, 34.1% vs 14.6%, P = .044; RHOA, 24.4% vs 6.3%, P = .032), suggesting the contribution of viral strains to these mutation frequencies. From a clinical viewpoint, we identified a significant negative impact of biallelic inactivation of PRDM1 (P = .027) in addition to the previously reported PRKCB mutations, indicating the importance of integrated genetic analysis. This study suggests that heterogeneous genetic abnormalities in ATLL depend on the viral strain as well as on the ethnic background. This warrants the need to develop therapeutic interventions considering regional characteristics., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)

Although cases with metachronous or synchronous co-occurrence of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) have been reported, few reports have analyzed the clonal relationship between both lesions in detail, especially in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive settings. Here, we report a case of a 38-year-old male with CHL, followed by the recurrence of EBV-positive mucocutaneous ulcers of the large intestine and EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the liver. Surprisingly, polymerase chain reaction analysis for immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement revealed that all lesions were clonally distinct. We further reviewed the literature on synchronous and metachronous co-occurrence of CHL and B-NHL in EBV-positive settings. In contrast to EBV-negative settings, all evaluable cases showed clonally distinct multiple lesions. These findings suggest that histologically and clonally distinct B-cells could simultaneously proliferate in EBV-associated settings, providing a new insight into the pathogenesis of EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders., (© 2020 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) are not satisfactory, particularly in patients in non-complete remission at transplantation (Pt-non-CR). We conducted a regional retrospective study in the ATL endemic area of Okinawa, Japan. Of 62 ATL patients, 21 received allo-HSCT in CR and 41 in non-CR. The 3-year overall survival (3yOS) rate and median survival time for the whole cohort was 25.6% and 7.7 months, respectively. The 3yOS of Pt-non-CR was significantly lower than that of patients in CR (Pt-CR) (16.8% vs. 43.6%, P = 0.005). Transplant-related mortality (TRM) was significantly higher in Pt-non-CR than in Pt-CR (46.3% vs. 15.7%, P = 0.025), while there was no significant difference in disease-associated mortality (DAM) between Pt-non-CR and Pt-CR. Multivariable analysis for Pt-non-CR revealed that poor performance status (poor-PS) and higher sIL-2R level (high sIL-2R) adversely affected OS. Poor-PS was associated with higher TRM, but not with higher DAM in Pt-non-CR. High sIL-2R did not affect TRM or DAM in Pt-non-CR. Overall, high TRM rates rather than DAM contribute to the poor outcomes of Pt-non-CR, suggesting that not only disease control but also management of transplant-related complications is required for allo-HSCT in ATL patients.

Aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) has an extremely poor prognosis and is hyperendemic in Okinawa, Japan. This study evaluated two prognostic indices (PIs) for aggressive ATL, the ATL-PI and Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG)-PI, in a cohort from Okinawa. The PIs were originally developed using two different Japanese cohorts that included few patients from Okinawa. The endpoint was overall survival (OS). Multivariable Cox regression analyses in the cohort of 433 patients revealed that all seven factors for calculating each PI were statistically significant prognostic predictors. Three-year OS rates for ATL-PI were 35.9% (low-risk, n = 66), 10.4% (intermediate-risk, n = 256), and 1.6% (high-risk, n = 111), and those for JCOG-PI were 22.4% (moderate-risk, n = 176) and 5.3% (high-risk, n = 257). The JCOG-PI moderate-risk group included both the ATL-PI low- and intermediate-risk groups. ATL-PI more clearly identified the low-risk patient subgroup than JCOG-PI. To evaluate the external validity of the two PIs, we also assessed prognostic discriminability among 159 patients who loosely met the eligibility criteria of a previous clinical trial. Three-year OS rates for ATL-PI were 34.5% (low-risk, n = 42), 9.2% (intermediate-risk, n = 109), and 12.5% (high-risk, n = 8). Those for JCOG-PI were 22.4% (moderate-risk, n = 95) and 7.6% (high-risk, n = 64). The low-risk ATL-PI group had a better prognosis than the JCOG-PI moderate-risk group, suggesting that ATL-PI would be more useful than JCOG-PI for establishing and examining novel treatment strategies for ATL patients with a better prognosis. In addition, strongyloidiasis, previously suggested to be associated with ATL-related deaths in Okinawa, was not a prognostic factor in this study., (© 2018 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)

Low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been reported in patients with hematological malignancies. However, the proof of decreased HDL-C in hematological malignancies and its association with clinical outcomes remain unclear. We analyzed 140 Japanese patients with malignant lymphoma (ML) and adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL). HDL-C, LDL-C and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were measured. Treatment decisions were determined with established protocols. HDL-C was 0.98 ± 0.45 mmol/l in patients and 1.51 ± 0.35 mmol/l in controls (P < 0.001). LDL-C was lower in patients than in controls (2.76 ± 0.96, 3.16 ± 0.76 mmol/l, respectively, P < 0.001). HDL-C was the lowest in ATLL (0.81 ± 0.37 mmol/l), modest in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (1.09 ± 0.42 mmol/l) and the highest in Hodgkin's disease (1.14 ± 0.68 mmol/l), (P = 0.0019). Inverse correlation was found between HDL-C and sIL-2R (r = -0.6584, P < 0.001). Categorized patients into 3 subgroups according to HDL-C (<0.52, 0.52-1.02 and ≥1.03 mmol/l), sIL-2R were the highest (median, 36,675; IQR, 17,180-92,600 U/mL) in patients with HDL-C < 0.52 mmol/l, modest (2386, 1324-8340) in HDL-C 0.52-1.02 mmol/l and the lowest (761, 450-1596) in HDL-C ≥ 1.03 mmol/l (P < 0.001). In Cox regression model, the lowest HDL-C levels, <0.52 mmol/l, were associated with poorer clinical outcome and the hazard ratio was 5.73 (95%CI, 3.09-10.50; P < 0.001). In Kaplan-Meier analysis according to HDL-C tertiles (<0.78, 0.78-1.10 and ≥1.11 mmol/l), patients with lowest HDL-C tertile showed inferior overall survival with a median follow-up of 23 months (P < 0.001). We concluded that cytokine-induced low levels of HDL-C in patients with ML and ATLL has independent prognostic significance, and suggesting an early indicator of poorer outcome., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Okinawa, comprising remote islands off the mainland of Japan, is an endemic area of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1), the causative virus of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). We investigated the tax genotype of HTLV-1 among 29 HTLV-1 carriers, 74 ATL patients, and 33 HAM patients in Okinawa. The genotype distribution-60 (44%) taxA cases and 76 (56%) taxB cases-differed from that of a previous report from Kagoshima Prefecture in mainland Japan (taxA, 10%; taxB, 90%). A comparison of the clinical outcomes of 45 patients (taxA, 14; taxB, 31) with aggressive ATL revealed that the overall response and 1-year overall survival rates for taxA (50% and 35%, respectively) were lower than those for taxB (71% and 49%, respectively). In a multivariate analysis of two prognostic indices for aggressive ATL, Japan Clinical Oncology Group-Prognostic Index and Prognostic Index for acute and lymphoma ATL, with respect to age, performance status, corrected calcium, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and tax genotype, the estimated hazard ratio of taxA compared with taxB was 2.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-8.25; P=0.086). Our results suggest that the tax genotype has clinical value as a prognostic factor for aggressive ATL., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim was to explore undefined useful indices for clinically grading adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) using [ 18 F] 2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) - positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)., Methods: A total of 28 patients with ATL (indolent, 9; aggressive, 19) were enrolled; all patients with aggressive ATL underwent FDG-PET/CT before chemotherapy. Patients with indolent ATL underwent FDG-PET/CT at the time of suspected disease progression and/or transformation; some received lymph node biopsy. The quantitative parameters maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax), and mean and peak SUV, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and volume-based total lesion glycolysis were calculated with the margin threshold as 25%, and 50% of the SUVmax for all lesions., Results: All parameters except for MTV-25% showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in differentiating the aggressive type from the indolent type of ATL. Areas under the curve for receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis regarding the series of parameters investigated ranged from 0.75 to 0.92; this indicated relatively high accuracy in distinguishing the aggressive type from the indolent type. No malignant findings were detected in lymph node biopsies in indolent ATL patients with lymphadenopathy., Discussion: We performed evaluation of a line of parameters of FDG-PET, thereby demonstrating their significantly high accuracy for grading malignancy in ATL patients. In particular, low accumulation of FDG in indolent ATL patients with lymphadenopathy might predict that it is not a sign of disease transformation, but rather a reactive manifestation., Conclusion: FDG-PET/CT findings could be useful for clinically grading ATL.

Although many reports have already shown RSV outbreaks among hemato-oncology patients, genomic studies detecting similar RSV strains prior to an outbreak in the hospital are rare. In 2014, the University of the Ryukyus hospital hemato-oncology unit experienced, and successfully managed, a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nosocomial outbreak. During the outbreak investigation, genotyping and phylogenetic analysis was used to identify a potential source for the outbreak. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for RSV using three tests: (1) rapid antigen test (RAT); (2) reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR); or (3) quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR); a positive PCR reaction was considered a confirmed case of RSV. Phylogenetic analysis of the G protein was performed for outbreak and reference samples from non-outbreak periods of the same year. In total, 12 confirmed cases were identified, including 8 hemato-oncology patients. Patient samples were collected weekly, until all confirmed RSV cases returned RSV negative test results. Median time of suspected viral shedding was 16 days (n = 5, range: 8-37 days). Sensitivity and specificity of the RAT compared with RT-qPCR were 30% and 91% (n = 42). Phylogenetic analysis revealed nine genetically identical strains; eight occurring during the outbreak time period and one strain was detected 1 month prior. A genetically similar RSV detected 1 month before is considered one potential source of this outbreak. As such, healthcare providers should always enforce standard precautions, especially in the hemato-oncology unit., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Detection of specific immune responses against cancer/testis antigen NY-ESO-1 was recently reported in patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected asymptomatic carriers (ACs). However, the relationship of the responses with the HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) and the levels of viral gene expression remain unclear., Findings: We measured plasma levels of autoantibodies to NY-ESO-1 immunogenic tumor antigen in HTLV-1-infected individuals with different clinical status, and in healthy controls. Data were compared to tax and HBZ mRNA levels, and PVL. Plasma anti-NY-ESO-1 antibody was detectable in 13.7% (7/51) of ACs, 29.2% (38/130) of patients with HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), and 18.9% (10/53) of patients with ATL. Anti-NY-ESO-1 plasma levels were significantly higher in patients with HAM/TSP than in patients with ATL or ACs. Anti-NY-ESO-1 levels were not associated with PVL or the expression levels of tax and HBZ mRNA among HTLV-1-infected individuals, regardless of clinical status., Conclusions: The present results indicate the strong humoral immune response against NY-ESO-1 in natural HTLV-1 infection, irrespective of the clinical status. The higher immunoreactivity against NY-ESO-1 is not simply associated with the levels of both HTLV-1 gene expression and the number of infected cells in vivo. Rather, it might reflect chronic and generalized immune activation in infected individuals.

Here, we report a rare case of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with conspicuous manifestation of hematological abnormalities. At onset, the 52-year-old male patient showed systemic lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly, severe autoimmune thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune neutropenia. Bone marrow examination and lymph node biopsy excluded the possibility of malignant lymphoma. Based on laboratory findings, he was finally diagnosed with combined autoimmune cytopenia coupled with SLE. Atypical clinical manifestations of SLE prompted us to explore the possibility of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS). However, we did not detect an increased number of CD4 - /CD8 - , CD3 + , TCRαβ + double-negative T cells in the circulating blood or dysfunctional T cell apoptosis in the Fas/Fas ligand pathway due to mutations in the FAS, FASLG or CASP10 genes. Combined autoimmune cytopenia is a rare clinical entity that in some cases co-occurs with other autoimmune diseases. Given that most SLE patients presenting atypical hematological manifestations at an early stage subsequently exhibit typical systemic manifestations, the present case raises the possibility that initial hematological abnormalities may be signs of unexpected SLE manifestations.

Okinawa Prefecture, located in the subtropics, is an area of endemic adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) in Japan. We retrospectively analyzed 659 patients with aggressive ATL in seven institutions in Okinawa between 2002 and 2011. The median patient age was 68 years. More patients were aged ≥90 years (2.6 %), in this study, than in a nationwide survey (<1 %). The median survival time (MST) of the entire cohort was 6.5 months. Of the 217 patients who had a clinical status similar to that stated in the eligibility criteria of JCOG9801 (a randomized phase III study comparing VCAP-AMP-VECP with CHOP-14), 147 who received the CHOP regimen had a poorer MST than those in the CHOP-14 arm of JCOG9801 (8 vs 11 months). The prevalence of strongyloidiasis in the ATL patients was much higher (12.4 %) than in the historical cohort who visited the University of the Ryukyus Hospital (3.4 %). Furthermore, strongyloidiasis may be associated with ATL-related deaths. These findings suggest that, compared with other areas in Japan, in Okinawa, the proportion of patients aged ≥90 years with clinical features of aggressive ATL is higher, outcomes are poorer, and the disease is associated with a higher prevalence of strongyloidiasis.

Purpose: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is one important treatment option for patients with aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Mogamulizumab (anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody; Mog) was recently approved as a treatment for ATLL in Japan. Major concerns exist about the possible adverse effects of pretransplantation Mog because Mog depletes regulatory T cells for several months. We assessed the impact of pretransplantation Mog on clinical outcomes after allo-HSCT., Patients and Methods: We included 996 allo-HSCT recipients age 70 years or younger with aggressive ATLL who were given the diagnosis between 2000 and 2013 and who received intensive chemotherapy by multiple chemotherapeutic drugs as first-line therapy. Before allo-HSCT, 82 patients received Mog with a median interval of 45 days from the last Mog to allo-HSCT., Results: Pretransplantation Mog was associated with an increased risk of grade 3 to 4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD; relative risk, 1.80; P < .01) and refractoriness to systemic corticosteroid for acute GVHD (relative risk, 2.09; P < .01). One-year cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was significantly higher in patients with pretransplantation Mog compared with those without (43.7% v 25.1%; P < .01). The probability of 1-year overall survival was also significantly inferior in patients with pretransplantation Mog compared with those without (32.3% v 49.4%; P < .01). In particular, use of Mog with intervals < 50 days to allo-HSCT was associated with a dismal clinical outcome., Conclusion: Pretransplantation Mog was significantly associated with an increased risk of GVHD-related mortality, which supports the relevance of CCR4-expressing Tregs after allo-HSCT in humans. In clinical practice, Mog should be cautiously used for patients with ATLL who are eligible for allo-HSCT., (© 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.)

Background: Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) basic leucine zipper factor (HBZ), which is encoded by a minus strand mRNA, is thought to play important roles in the development of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). However, a comprehensive analysis of HBZ, including mRNA and protein expression, humoral immunoreactivity against HBZ, and HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL), in HTLV-1-infected individuals with different clinical status has not been reported previously., Results: In this study, using novel monoclonal antibody-based in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay systems, we report the absolute quantification of HBZ protein and its plasma antibody in clinical samples from HTLV-1-infected individuals with different clinical status. The data were compared to both HBZ mRNA levels and PVL. The results showed that plasma anti-HBZ antibody was detectable only in 10.4 % (5/48) of asymptomatic carriers (ACs), 10.8 % (13/120) of HAM/TSP patients, and 16.7 % (7/42) of ATL patients. HBZ protein was detected in three out of five patients with acute ATL, but was not detected in patients with HAM/TSP (0/10) or ACs (0/4). Thus, an antibody response to HBZ was not associated with the PVL or the expression of HBZ (both at the mRNA and protein levels) or the clinical status of the infection., Conclusions: The present results emphasize the extremely low expression and immunogenicity of HBZ in natural HTLV-1 infection. However, there is a possibility that the low but distinct expression of HBZ protein in PBMCs is associated with the survival of HTLV-1-infected cells and the development of ATL.

Adult T cell leukemia / lymphoma (ATL) is one of the most aggressive hematological malignancies caused by human T-lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-1). Mogamulizumab is a new defucosylated humanized monoclonal antibody agent which targets C-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CCR4) expressed occasionally on the surface of ATL cells. However, adverse events such as drug eruptions have also been highlighted, at least in part, via the dysfunction of regulatory T cells (Tregs). We herein report a pronounced recurrence of systemic psoriasis vulgaris accompanied by the treatment of mogamulizumab in a patient with ATL. Pathological examinations may suggest a mechanistic link between the recurrence of autoinflammatory diseases and anti-CCR4 antibody therapies.

We report a case of fatal pneumonia and viremia due to human parainfluenza virus type 1 (HPIV-1) in a 65-year-old male patient with adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) treated with mogamulizumab, a brand-new therapeutic agent for ATL. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing viremia due to HPIV-1. After administering mogamulizumab, lymphocyte count in the blood was drastically decreased and the patient suffered from complicated infections including gram-negative bacterial sepsis, cytomegalovirus antigenemia and aspergillosis. Although these infections were successfully controlled by broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy, patchy ground-grass opacities in the both lungs were gradually worsened. He finally died due to acute respiratory failure. Since findings of the chest CT was consistent with typical patterns of viral pneumonia, we screened major respiratory viruses in the peripheral blood with multiplex PCR, and it turned out that RNA of HPIV-1 was positive. Although ATL cells were not detected in the autopsied lungs and a variety of other tissues, cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, which are commonly observed in RNA viral infection, were abundantly observed in the autopsied lung tissue. These findings suggest that mogamulizumab accomplished complete remission of ATL, while the chemotherapy-induced prolonged lymphopenia caused fatal pneumonia and viremia due to HPIV-1. As it has been well recognized that community respiratory viruses including HPIV-1 often cause fatal pneumonia in patients with leukemia, but also there is no specific treatment for HPIV-1, we have to enforce standard precautions especially when we treat leukemic patients with intensively immunosuppressive agents such as mogamulizumab., (Copyright © 2015 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: CD83, a cell surface glycoprotein that is stably expressed on mature dendritic cells, can be transiently induced on other hematopoietic cell lineages upon cell activation. In contrast to the membrane form of CD83, soluble CD83 appears to be immunosuppressive. In an analysis of the phenotype of leukemic CD4(+) T cells from patients with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), we found that a number of primary CD4(+) T cells became positive for cell surface CD83 after short-term culture, and that most of these CD83(+) CD4(+) T cells were positive for human T-cell leukemia virus type-I (HTLV-I) Tax (Tax1). We hypothesized that Tax1 is involved in the induction of CD83., Result: We found that CD83 was expressed selectively on Tax1-expressing human CD4(+) T cells in short-term cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from HTLV-I(+) donors, including ATL patients and HTLV-I carriers. HTLV-I-infected T cell lines expressing Tax1 also expressed cell surface CD83 and released soluble CD83. CD83 can be expressed in the JPX-9 cell line by cadmium-mediated Tax1 induction and in Jurkat cells or PBMCs by Tax1 introduction via infection with a recombinant adenovirus carrying the Tax1 gene. The CD83 promoter was activated by Tax1 in an NF-κB-dependent manner. Based on a previous report showing soluble CD83-mediated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production from human monocytes in vitro, we tested if PGE2 affected HTLV-I propagation, and found that PGE2 strongly stimulated expression of Tax1 and viral structural molecules., Conclusions: Our results suggest that HTLV-I induces CD83 expression on T cells via Tax1 -mediated NF-κB activation, which may promote HTLV-I infection in vivo.

Severe hemophilia patients are more likely to be complicated by intra-articular hemorrhage, subcutaneous hemorrhage, and intra-mascular hemorrhage. Spontaneous intra-abdominal hemorrhage is a rare fatal disease, which is an arterial bleeding of uncertain causes from vessel feeding arteries. In case the spontaneous intra-abdominal hemorrhage is complicated to severe hemophilia patients, the mortality rate increases considerably. We experienced a patient with severe hemophilia A, who made a full recovery from spontaneous intra-abdominal hemorrhagic shock by replacement therapy of coagulation factor VII, a noninvasive procedure.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) sometimes causes opportunistic infections. A 53-year-old woman with systemic lymphadenopathies was diagnosed with ATL by inguinal lymph node biopsies and underwent oral chemotherapy. Two months later, high grade fever, lower abdominal pain and lymphadenopathy recurred. Computed tomography revealed the presence of lymphadenopathy with marked gas formation in the pelvic lesion. Blood cultures were suggestive of septic lymphadenitis by Bacteroides fragilis (BF). This represents the first demonstration of giant lymphadenitis with gas formation caused by BF in a patient with ATL. Notably, septic lymphadenitis is pivotal in the differential diagnosis of systemic lymphadenopathy in ATL.