[Clinical characteristics and prognosis in 12 patients with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma confirmed by HTLV-1 provirus gene detection].

Objective

To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL).

Methods

Peripheral blood samples from patients who were suspected as ATLL from March, 2013 to July, 2015, were collected for HTLV-1 provirus genes detection in genomic DNA extraction by PCR. Cases showing positive results were confirmed as ATLL. Clinical and laboratory characteristics, therapeutic outcomes and survival evaluation were collected.

Results

12 out of 23 suspected patients were confirmedly diagnosed as ATLL through HTLV-1 provirus genes detection by PCR. Eight patients were male and four patients were female. Median age was 51 (range 28-66) years old. All of those patients came from coastal cities of Fujian province where a HTLV-1 epidemic area locates. In the subtype classification of these 12 ATLL, 11 patients were classified as acute type and one case as lymphoma type ATLL. As one of the clinical characteristics of ATLL, ' flower cells ', with typical or atypical morphology had been observed in a high rate (81.8%). Clinical symptom such as hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and lymphadenectasis were detected in most of patients, and hypercalcemia and elevated LDH were also noted commonly. The ATLL cells immunophenotype were typical, and the major subtype was CD4+ CD8- type. Confection of hepatitis B virus was detected in a high rate (54.5%). Ten patients received chemotherapy, and 2 cases in complete remission after chemotherapy received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. At the end of the follow-up, 7 cases died, 4 cases survived, 1 case was lost, and the median survival was 2.8 (0.9-10.8) months. We found a case had HTLV-1 provirus negative after transplantation.

Conclusion

In the coastal area of Fujian Province, ATLL is not rare. Characteristics of those ATLL are typical. But prognosis is still unsatisfactory.