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Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients
Published on: September 9, 2020
Patients with Plasma Cell Disorders Have High EBV DNA in Peripheral Blood than the General Population
Kumar Sangam1, Yashwant Kumar2, Ranjana Walker Minz1
1Department of Immunopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India.
Abstract:
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is involved in the development of a wide range of B cell lympho-proliferative disorders. Its association with plasma cell disorders (PCD) however is not clear, especially in immunocompetent patients. To explore any relationship, 39 patients of suspected PCD with positive M-band on electrophoresis and 50 healthy controls were enrolled. EBV DNA in peripheral blood was quantified using quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Of 39 patients, 15 (38.5%) had EBV DNA compared to 8/50 (16%) controls (p = 0.0008). The mean viral copy number was found to be significantly high in patients compared to controls (1.8 × 105; range = 2.6 × 103-7.6 × 105 copies/ml and 1.7 × 104; range = 7.0 × 102-6.1 × 104 copies/ml respectively; p = 0.003). This is the first study, which characterizes the frequency of EBV in circulation in patients of PCD. The significance of increased prevalence of circulating EBV and a higher viral load in our immunocompetent patients however, needs further evaluation.
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