A study of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma incidence in central Brooklyn.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a rare outcome of infection with human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I), is endemic in central Brooklyn, which has a large Caribbean migrant population. Previous studies have suggested that HTLV-I prevalence in central Brooklyn may be similar to that recorded in the Caribbean islands. We established a pilot 1-year surveillance program to identify cases of ATL in 7 of 10 hospitals serving the residents of 18 zip codes of central Brooklyn with a combined population of 1,184,670. Of the 6,198 in-patient beds in the catchment area, approximately 83% were covered. Twelve incident cases of ATL were ascertained, all among persons of Afro-Caribbean descent, indicating an annual incidence in African-Americans in this community of approximately 3.2/100,000 person-years. Unexplained hypercalcemia was the most useful screening method, identifying 3 of 5 patients not referred for possible ATL by a local hematologist. The female:male ratio was 3:1. The age pattern was different from that reported in the Caribbean Basin and closer to the pattern seen in Japan. Our study supports evidence that HTLV-I infection and ATL are endemic in central Brooklyn and suggests that a more intensive surveillance program for this disease coupled with intervention efforts to reduce HTLV-I transmission are warranted.

Von Willebrand's disease and pregnancy.

The course of a pregnant patient with von Willebrand's disease, who underwent a successful cesarean section without supportive Factor VIII therapy is described. She had no postoperative bleeding despite a persistently prolonged bleeding time. The significance of the bleeding time, Factor VIII activity, and Factor VIII-related antigen in relation to bleeding tendency and therapeutic management is discussed.

Evidence that the platelet retention factor is separate from the factor VIII-related antigen and factor VIII.

Plasmas from a pregnant patient with von Willebrand's disease and from a patient with von Willebrand's disease who is taking Premarin had elevated levels of Factor VIII-related antigen and Factor VIII activity without any improvement in their platelet retention abnormality. When these were added to the blood from nonpregnant patients with von Willebrand's disease no significant improvement in platelet retention followed. This suggests that the "retention factor" is independent of the antigenic Factor VIII-like material.

Disorders of hemostatic function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A wide spectrum of hemostatic abnormalities is found in patients with SLE. Thrombocytopenia and qualitative platelet disorder (impaired aggregation to collagen) are probably both due to antiplatelet antibodies, which can be found in most patients with the disease. About 10% of patients with SLE have a circulating anticoagulant. These circulating anticoagulants are broadly heterogeneous. Although most reported cases act at the level of the prothrombin converting complex, 15 of the 74 cases here reviewed had other points of action. The anticoagulants are probably all antibodies; they differ (with rare exceptions) from other naturally occurring circulating anticoagulants in having an immediate rather than a progressive effect, and in acting, not against pre-existing procoagulants, but against unstable complexes. An anticoagulant of the type found in SLE is only rarely observed in the absence of SLE; its presence in a patient is thus of some diagnostic importance. Hypoprothrombinemia is a common second lesion in patients with circulating anticoagulants. Its pathogenesis is obscure. Two patients with acquired von Willebrand's disease have been observed. All the hemostatic abnormalities found in SLE probably have immunologic bases; all respond to glucocorticoid treatment.