Bm6010

We tested the serum of participants for anti-HTLV-1 antibodies using a CLEIA (Fujirebio, Tokyo, Japan). When the results were positive, we confirmed the finding by Western blotting (BML, Tokyo, Japan). We defined the participants for whom anti-HTLV-1 antibody was detected by Western blotting as HTLV-1 seropositive. RF (DENKA SEIKEN, Tokyo, Japan) and CRP (SEKISUI MEDICAL, Tokyo, Japan) were measured with a latex agglutination immunoassay using an auto-analyzer (BM6010, JEOL, Tokyo, Japan). Anti-CCP antibody was tested using a CLEIA (SRL, Tokyo, Japan). Anti-HCV antibody was tested using a second-generation passive hemagglutination kit (Dynabott, Tokyo, Japan) or a second-generation EIA kit (Sysmex International Reagents Corporation, Kobe, Japan). Quantitative and/or qualitative detection of HCV RNA was also carried out using the Amplicor HCV monitor test ver. 1.0 or ver. 2.0 and/or the Amplicor HCV ver. 2.0 (Roche Diagnostics Systems, Tokyo, Japan) among anti-HCV-positive samples. Participants for whom HCV RNA was positive were defined as HCV infected.