Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type I–Associated Adult T-cell Leukemia–Lymphoma: New Directions in Clinical Research

Abstract Adult T-cell leukemia–lymphoma (ATL) is a distinct malignancy of regulatory T cell (Treg)/TH2 cells caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1), with a high frequency of expression of CD3/CD4/CD25/CCR4 and FoxP3 in about half of the cells. However, in primary ATL cells, although expression of the virus, including the Tax oncoprotein, appears just after an in vitro culture, integration sites of the provirus into the host genome are random, and chromosomal/genetic abnormalities are complex. ATL is thus a single disease entity that is caused by HTLV-1 and possesses diverse molecular features. The clinical features and prognosis of ATL vary, and this has led to subtypes classified into four categories: acute, lymphomatous, chronic, and smoldering types, based on lactate dehydrogenase and calcium values and organ involvement. Approximately 15 to 20 million individuals are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide, 1.1 million of whom reside in Japan, and the annual incidence of ATL has been estimated to be approximately 1,000. HTLV-1 infection early in life, mainly from breast feeding, is crucial for the development of ATL. The age-specific occurrence of ATL and complex genome abnormalities that accumulate with disease progression suggest a multistep carcinogenesis model following HTLV-1 infection. Various treatment options are available for ATL and consist of watchful waiting for indolent ATL, intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for aggressive ATL, and a combination of IFNα and zidovudine for ATL with leukemic manifestation. Several promising new agents, including an anti-CCR4 antibody, are currently undergoing clinical trials associated with translational research. See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Paradigm Shifts in Lymphoma.” Clin Cancer Res; 20(20); 5217–25. ©2014 AACR.