[Retroviruses, human tumors and autoimmune diseases]

Retroviruses are known to cause a variety of naturally occurring disorders in animals. These include various types of cancer, immune deficiencies, and degenerative and autoimmune disorders. In man, retroviruses are the causal agents of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and AIDS. In addition, serologic evidence suggests the involvement of retroviruses in a variety of other human disorders including leukemias and lymphomas, and autoimmune as well as psychiatric and neurologic disorders.