Flower cells in patients with infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1

J Clin Virol. 2010 Aug;48(4):288-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2010.05.005. Epub 2010 Jun 11.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH) is a severe childhood form of eczema that may progress to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL).

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the presence of clinical and laboratory parameters suggestive of ATL was evaluated in a cohort of 30 patients with IDH.

STUDY DESIGN: Over a period of 33 months, the patients were submitted to three-monthly clinical evaluations, routine laboratory exams, full blood count and blood smears, and to six-monthly blood sampling for HTLV-1 proviral load determination. HTLV-1 proviral load was quantified using real-time TaqMan PCR assay.

RESULTS: Abnormal cells (Ably) were found in the peripheral blood smears of nine patients (30%), flower cells being detected in five of these cases (16.6%). The presence of Ably and flower cells was not associated with a higher proviral load in those patients.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on the presence of flower cells in HTLV-1-infected children and adolescents. Furthermore, these cells have not previously been reported in IDH patients. The cases with flower cells probably represent precursory ATL cases, these patients being at a greater risk of developing ATL.

PMID:20541459 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcv.2010.05.005