Antibodies to epstein-barr virus-specific antigens in patients with hairy-cell leukemia

✍ Scribed by Kiyoshi Sakamoto; Motohiko Aiba; Isao Katayama; John L. Sullivan; Robert E. Humphreys; David T. Purtilo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 480 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910270406

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Antibody titers to Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐specific antigens of 19 patients with hairy‐cell leukemia (HCL) were markedly elevated. All patients showed high titers of IgG anti‐viral capsid antigen (VCA) reactivity equal to or greater than 320 (reciprocal titer). The anti‐VCA reciprocal geometric mean titer (GTM) was 1106 in contrast to a GMT of 80 for healthy controls (p < 0.001). No IgM anti‐VCA antibody was detected, but three patients had IgA anti‐VCA antibodies. Fourteen patients had elevated anti‐early antigen (EA) titers (GMT = 177) which were indicative of active infections with EBV. Seven of the 14 patients demonstrated the diffuse component antibody of the early antigen (EA) complex at a GMT of 98. Anti‐Epstein‐Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) was detected in sera of 16 patients (GMT = 64, controls GMT = 79). It is noteworthy that three patients with anti‐VCA titers lacked anti‐EBNA titers. These antibody responses suggest that immunodeficiency secondary to HCL allowed reactivation of the virus.