Relative seroprevalence of human herpes viruses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
BACKGROUND
Herpes virus infections may have a significant role in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) due to their ability to modulate the host's immune system.


METHODS
We examined the seroprevalence of four herpes viruses [Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), human herpes virus (HHV)-6 and -7] in a cohort of European CLL patients (cohort 1, n = 100) in relation to the immunoglobulin variable heavy (IGHV) chain gene use and compared serological results with those obtained from age- and gender-matched healthy adults (n = 100).


RESULTS
CMV-seroprevalence was significantly higher in CLL cohort 1 (79%) than in the control cohort (57%, P = 0.001); the seroprevalence of EBV (89% vs. 94%), HHV-6 (73% vs. 60%), or HHV-7 (35% vs. 35%) was not. In CLL cohort 1, use of IGHV3-30 was more prevalent among CMV-seropositive and of IGHV3-21 among HHV-7-seronegative cases. To investigate the generalizability of these findings, we investigated the herpes virus seroprevalence in a second cohort of age-matched CLL patients from a different geographical area (USA, n = 100, cohort 2). In cohort 2, CMV-seroprevalence was comparable with that of the control cohort (53%). Seroprevalence of EBV, HHV-6 and HHV-7 were 85%, 88% and 73% respectively. In CLL cohort 2, use of IGHV3-30 or IGHV3-21 was not associated with any of the herpes viruses investigated.


CONCLUSIONS
CMV-seropositivity is associated with CLL in selected patient cohorts. However, the considerable variation in herpes virus-specific seropositivity between geographically distinct CLL cohorts indicates that seropositivity for any of the four human herpes viruses investigated is not generally associated with CLL.
Steininger
C
C
Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. christoph.steininger@meduniwien.ac.at
Rassenti
L Z
LZ
Vanura
K
K
Eigenberger
K
K
Jäger
U
U
Kipps
T J
TJ
Mannhalter
C
C
Stilgenbauer
S
S
Popow-Kraupp
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D050438:Genes, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain / Q000276:immunology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies