Abstract
Twenty American patients with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) were studied serologically and biochemically to detect an association with Epstein Barr virus (EBV). A wide range of antibody reactivities was encountered. Five patients had serological profiles similar to those of African patients with BL: 1 and possibly 2 of these patients harbored EBV-DNA in their tumors. Fifteen patients had low or absent antibody to EBV: tumors from 10 of these patients lacked evidence of EBV-DNA. An unexplained association between elevated antibody (≥1:80) to EBV virus capsid antigen (VCA) and a favorable prognosis was noted in this series; this prognostic observation requires further substantiation. Thus, it appears that EBV associated BL is inversely proportional to tumor endemicity. An etiological role for EBV in BL remains speculative.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 701-706 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | International Journal of Cancer |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 6 |
State | Published - 1976 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
- Oncology