病毒能否引起人类白血病和淋巴瘤的问题一直受到关注。早在50年代初,Gross等即发现C型RNA病毒(逆转录病毒)与动物白血病、淋巴瘤的发病有关。从鱼类、两栖类、鸟类及哺乳类(包括灵长类)动物的白血病细胞中均已分离到C型RNA病毒。人体内也找到过某些动物白血病病毒。但是长期以来并未掌握存在有人白血病、淋巴瘤病毒的确切证据。近几年来,许多作者报告找到了一种新的C型RNA病毒,即人T细胞白血病-淋巴瘤病毒(HTLV)。这种病毒系从某些类型的人类T细胞白血病、淋巴瘤细胞系中分离到,具有不同于各种动物C型RNA病毒或其他致人类 The question of whether the virus can cause human leukemia and lymphomas has drawn attention. As early as the early 1950s, Gross et al. Found that type C RNA viruses (retroviruses) are associated with the development of animal leukemias and lymphomas. Type C RNA viruses have been isolated from leukemic cells in fish, amphibians, birds and mammals, including primates. Some animal leukemia virus has also been found in human body. However, the exact evidence of human leukemia and lymphoma virus has not been mastered for a long time. In recent years, many authors have reported finding a new type C RNA virus, the human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus (HTLV). This virus is isolated from certain types of human T-cell leukemia, lymphoma cell lines, has a different from other animal C-type RNA virus or other human induced