A comparison of epstein-barr virus-specific T-cell immunity in malaria-endemic and -nonendemic regions of Papua New Guinea

✍ Scribed by D. J. Moss; S. R. Burrows; D. J. Castelino; R. G. Kane; J. H. Pope; A. B. Rickinson; M. P. Alpers; P. P. Heywood

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 610 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910310609

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Epstein‐barr virus genome‐positive Burkitt's lymphoma is endemic in Africa and Papua New Guinea and in both countries the tumour is restricted to regions with holoendemic malaria. The present work has compared groups of healthy indigenous individuals living in malarious and non‐malarious regions of Papua New Guinea for Epstein‐Barr virus‐specific T‐cell‐mediated immunity using the in vitro regression assay. Residents of the malarious region (55 tested), when compared with either residents of the non‐malarious area (35 tested) or Caucasian controls (27 tested) showed a significant (p < 0.0001) impairment of virus‐specific T‐cell immunity but no obvious disturbance (p > 0.05) of anti‐viral antibody titres. These results may be important in explaining the postulated role of malarial infection as a co‐factor in the patho‐genesis of Burkitt's lymphoma.