Lymphocyte immunophenotypes among anti-HTLV-I/-II-positive blood donors and recipients

The Transfusion Safety Study retrospectively screened a repository of serum specimens collected in late 1984-early 1985 to identify blood donors with antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) at that time. They and their recipients have been traced for additional HTLV studies. Immunophenotypic analyses of peripheral blood lymphocytes from nine antiHTLV-positive recipients, assumed to be infected during or since late 1984, showed no significant changes from healthy controls. Evaluation of the immunophenotypes of the 48 donors, however, showed significant elevations in the absolute counts of the T-cell (CD2) and natural killer (CD56) populations, the T helper/inducer and suppressor/inducer subsets (CD4⁺ CD29⁺ and CD4⁺ CD45RA⁺), and changes in T-cell activation markers. Long-term but not recent HTLV infection appears to alter the T-cell immunophenotypic pattern. Both infection with HTLV and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 are associated with a decreased CD2⁺ CD26⁺ count.