Criteria of Amano et al for HTLV-1 Associated Cutaneous Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL)

 

Features of cutaneous HTLV-1 related adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma:

(1) normal lymphocyte count (absolute count < 4,000 per µL)

(2) less than 5% abnormal T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood

(3) absence of hypercalcemia

(4) serum LDH <= 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)

(5) 1 or more skin lesions with T-cell infiltrate on biopsy

(6) monoclonal integration of HTLV-1 proviral DNA in the skin lesion

 

HTLV-1 proviral DNA load can distinguish the cutaneous form from smoldering ATLL. Smoldering ATLL has a high proviral DNA load while the asymptomatic carrier and patient with cutaneous ATLL have much lower viral loads.