Relationship between clinical stage, histopathology and antibody titers against the second Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA-2) in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients with centroblastic (Cb) or centroblastic-centrocytic (Cb/Cc)-diffuse lymphomas, immunocytoma (IC) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in clinical stages III-IV and with active disease (highly malignant group) were compared to NHL patients with CLL, IC, and centrocytic (Cc) or centroblastic-centrocytic (Cb-Cc)-diffuse/follicular lymphomas, in clinical stages I-II and with inactive disease (low malignant group) based on the presence of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) and 2 (EBNA-2). In the highly malignant group, anti-EBNA-1 geometric mean titers (GMT) were 13.2 (range less than 2-80) and anti-EBNA-2 60.6 (range: 20-320). The ratio between the logarithms of anti-EBNA-1 and anti-EBNA-2 antibody titers was less than 1.0 (mean: 0.32) in all the patients examined. In 6 out of 8 patients of the low malignant group, anti-EBNA-1 titers were higher (mean: 30.1; range 10-160) than anti-EBNA-2 titers (mean: 4.3; range less than 2-80) and the EBNA 1/2 ratio was greater than 1.0. In healthy EBV-seropositive individuals, anti-EBNA-1 GMT were 49 (range: 10-320) and only 5 out of 17 individuals had detectable anti-EBNA-2 titers (GMT: 3; range less than 5-20). The EBNA-1/2 ratio was in all cases greater than 1. Among patients of the highly and low malignant groups, patients with follicular-cell-derived lymphomas had elevated antibody titers against the restricted component of early antigens (EA-R), whereas all patients with IC and 2 out of 4 CLL patients had elevated antibody titers against the diffuse component of early antigens (EA-D). The results indicate that the ratio between anti-EBNA-1 and anti-EBNA-2 antibody titers may be of diagnostic importance in patients with immunodeficiencies.
Masucci
G
G
Dept. of Tumor Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mellstedt
H
H
Henle
G
G
Henle
W
W
Rymo
L
L
Masucci
M G
MG
Ernberg
I
I
Klein
G
G
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000276:immunology*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens