DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE I-ASSOCIATED ADULT T-CELL LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA DURING IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE TREATMENT FOLLOWING RENAL-TRANSPLANTATION/

Although it is recognized that there is an increased incidence of lymp hoproliferative disorders among patients who have received immunosuppr essive therapy following transplantation, there have been few reports of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) developing in previously asym ptomatic carriers of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) w ho have undergone transplantation. We describe the development of such a tumor in a man who was HTLV-I-positive and received immunosuppressi ve treatment following renal transplantation. As the number of individ uals in ethnic groups at risk for organ transplantation increases, it would seem prudent to screen such individuals for carriage of HTLV-I b efore transplantation and to follow them prospectively to confirm if t ransplantation and immunosuppression predispose to the development of ATLL.