Anti-EBV antibody titers in non-Hodgkin lymphomas

Antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related antigens, i.e. viral capsid antigen (VCA), the D and R components of the early antigen (EA) complex and the EBV-associated nuclear antigen (EBNA), were determined in a series of 86 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas and in 150 matched control subjects. The lymphoma patients belonged to four histological groups: diffuse, nodular, hyperbasophilic malignant lymphoma (HML) and unclassified. The EBV-related serological data were compared to the incidence of antibodies to other herpes viruses, i.e. cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV), and correlated with immune disorders, which are particularly frequent in the HML type of lymphoma. The results revealed a significantly higher incidence of anti-EA-D titers in lymphoma patients and slight but significant increases in the geometric mean anti-VCA titers in the HML and unclassified group of patients. These elevated anti-EBV titers in patients were not associated with an increase in titres of antibodies to other herpes viruses. They did not correlate with the signs of immune deficiency observed or with the incidence of auto-antibodies.