Concurrent adult T-cell leukemia and acute myeloblastic leukemia

A 49-year-old man developed adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) at the same time. Using Southern blotting analysis, the leukemic cells of the ATL were found to contain the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral genome, whereas those of the AML did not, indicating the HTLV-I not to be associated with the AML oncogenesis. At the initial presentation, the serum anti-HTLV-I antibody was judged on screening by a routine particle-agglutination (PA) test and an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IF) to be negative. By Western blotting analysis, however, the serum was proved to be positive for anti-HTLV-I antibody. These results indicate that a routine PA-test and an IF may show false negative reactions on very rare occasions of low antibody titer. This is the first report of a coincidence of ATL with another type of leukemia.