[Relationship between Epstein-Barr virus and lymphoproliferative syndromes in patients without immunodeficiency].
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and infectious mononucleosis, pharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt's lymphoma is well known. Further relationship seems to exist between EBV and the lymphoproliferative syndromes appearing in immunodeficient subjects. The present work is aimed to study the possible relationship between the virus and the lymphoproliferative syndromes presented by people without any apparent immunodeficiency.


METHODS
The presence of antibodies against different antigens of the virus was analysed. Antibodies against the viral capsid antigen were studied along with those against the early antigen and the viral core antigen in 55 patients with lymphoproliferative syndromes, of whom 38 had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 17 had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and none of them had immunodeficiency.


RESULTS
Significantly higher geometric means of the titres against capsid antigen and of the prevalence of antibodies against early antigen were seen in the patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with respect to the control group. On the contrary, patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia showed lower immunologic response than the control group, although the difference was not significant for any of the antibodies under study.


CONCLUSIONS
The higher immunologic response against EBV and its reactivation in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma would suggest that such agent could play a role favouring the onset of the disease, if not as a direct aetiological factor.
Barranco
M
M
Servicio de Microbiología Hospital Clínico y Provincial, Faeultad de Medicina, Universidad de Barcelona.
Vidal
J
J
Quintero
L
L
Vives-Corrons
J L
JL
Jiménez de Anta
M T
MT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C041788:Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen; D014758:Viral Core Proteins
Relación entre el virus de Epstein-Barr y síndromes linfoproliferativos en pacientes sin inmunodeficiencia.