Human T-lymphotropic Virus 1

Human T-lymphotropic Virus 1

Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus or Human T-lymphotropic virus Type 1 (HTLV-I), also called the Adult T-cell lymphoma virus type 1, a virus that has been implicated in several kinds of diseases including HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, Strongyloides stercoralis hyper-infection, and a virus cancer link for leukemia (see adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma). Between one in twenty and one in twenty-five infected persons are thought to develop cancer as a result of the virus.

HTLV was discovered in 1977 in Japan. The virus was first isolated by Bernard Poiesz and Francis Ruscetti and their co-workers in the laboratory of Robert C. Gallo at the NCI. It was the first identified human retrovirus.

Infection with HTLV-I, like infection with other retroviruses, probably occurs for life and can be inferred when antibodies against HTLV-1 are detected in the serum.