Human Ia-like-antigen-expressed cutaneous T cell lymphoma associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection

2 cases of cutaneous T cell lymphoma are reported. In both cases immunological studies revealed that the tumor cells from the cutaneous lesions had human Ia-like antigen on the cell surface, which was considered to be alloantigen primarily present on B lymphocytes. Serum examination showed an extremely high titer of two types of antibody against Epstein-Barr (EB) virus in the 1st case and a relatively high titer of one type of antibody in the 2nd case, suggesting that the patients had EB virus infection. Recently, some hematologists found the significant correlation of T lymphocytosis and the appearance of human Ia-like antigen in infectious mononucleosis. Based on these findings, it is assumed that EB virus has the ability of the immunological transformation of cutaneous neoplastic lymphocytes, and so we should not overlook the susceptibility of phenotypical changes of the original cell by EB virus when the immunological classification of cutaneous malignant lymphoma is done.