BACH2 and infection: The results demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the expression level of menin mRNA in both HAM/TSP and ATL patients compared to that in NCs (Fig. 2A), whereas the expression level of bach2 mRNA in HTLV-1 infected individuals was significantly lower than that in NCs, irrespective of the infection status (i.e., HAM/TSP, ATL, and ACs) (Fig. 2B).