Anti-p19 is an ANTIBODY that binds to the
ANTIGEN p19. Antigen p19 is a protein
molecule that is found on the membrane of
cells that are infected with the Human
T-Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The
virus can’t produce viral proteins by
itself so it “forces” the infected
cell to produce all the necessary viral
proteins including p19.
The Human T-leukemia Virus type I (HTLV-1)
is a human retrovirus which can stay
hidden in the T-lymphocytes. HTLV-1
attacks T-lymphocytes and can cause
malignant transformation of these
T-lymphocytes to lymphoma and leukemia. An
HTLV-1-infection is clearly associated
with some serious human diseases, such as
adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and another
associated neurological disorder called
myelopathy, or tropical spastic
paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Approximately 10 to
20 million people are thought to be
infected with this virus worldwide.
Although most infected persons remain
asymptomatic and do not progress to
disease, about 2 to 3% of the carriers
will develop ATL and another 2 to 3% may
develop chronic inflammatory diseases of
various organs and tissues, including the
central nervous system, eyes, lungs, or
skeletal muscles.
The anti-p19 antibody is used only to
diagnose HTLV-1 infection and is not used
for treatment.
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