Serologic studies in hairy cell leukemia: high prevalence of Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus antibodies and absence of human T-cell lymphotrophic viruses antibodies.
Serum from 60 patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) were studied for the presence and the titers of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human T-cell lymphotrophic viruses (HTLV). Eighty-three percent of the patients were seropositive for EBV, with a (reciprocal) geometric mean titer (GMT) of 960. Seventy-eight percent of the patients had antibodies to CMV with a GMT of 435. All 21 patients tested for HTLV I and HTLV III were seronegative; only one patient showed detectable antibodies to HTLV II. The potential role of these infections in the physiopathology of HCL is discussed.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D009857:Oncogenes
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies