CD30-positive lymphoma in human T-cell leukaemia virus type 1 carrier without monoclonal integration of HTLV-1.

CD30, Ki-1 antigen, an activated T-cell antigen, is a member of the nerve growth factor receptor family. This antigen is expressed on the lymphoma cells of some adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL/L) patients and some patients with Epstein-Barr virus infection. CD30-positive large cell cutaneous T-cell lymphomas occasionally integrate a defective HTLV-1 provirus. We describe here an HTLV-1 carrier who developed Ki-1 lymphoma with no evidence of monoclonal integration of the HTLV-1 proviral sequence.