The human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) is known to be the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Only 2-5% of infected individuals develop ATL and even then only 40-60 years after infection. One risk factor to develop ATL is the transmission of the virus by breastfeeding and during delivery, suggesting that infants of infected mothers are already carriers of the virus. Since the discovery of the virus in 1980 many scientific papers have been published describing the clinical manifestations, biology of the virus and the intracellular alterations induced by the virus. This review aims to explore some aspects of the relationship between HTLV-1 and ATL.
Leukemia; HTLV-1; ATL
