FREQUENT HEPATIC INVOLVEMENT IN ADULT T-CELL LEUKEMIA - COMPARISON WITH NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

We examined 111 patients with acute type-or lymphoma type-adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and compared them with 106 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In addition to skin involvement and hypercalcemia whi ch are already known to be frequent in ATL, ATL patients showed an hig her incidence of hepatic involvement. There was more frequent palpable hepatomegaly, higher total bilirubin, GOT, GPT, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and alkaline phosphatase Values in ATL than in NHL patients (p < 0.0001). Among 36 autopsied liver samples, invasion of ATL cells wa s confirmed in 22 cases. ATL patients with impaired hepatic function s howed shorter survival times than patients without hepatic dysfunction . Moreover, ATL patients showed a worse performance status (PS), a hig her incidence of lytic bone lesions, lower total protein (TP) and seru m albumin levels than NHL patients. This invasive characters of ATL ce lls and consequent impaired general condition seemed to be factors aff ecting the poor prognosis recorded in ATL.