Burkitt's lymphoma in Turkish children: clinical, viral [EBV] and molecular studies

Eighty-one Turkish children with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) were observed during a period of 24 years (1968-1992). The diagnosis was established histologically according to WHO criteria. BL represented 48.5% of NHL in this series. The median age of patients was 5 years with a sex (M/F) ratio of 2.3/1. The most common primary site of tumor involvement at initial presentation was the abdomen (70.4%), which was followed by facial tumors, in particular the jaw and orbit (45.7%). The majority of the patients (84.0%) were in advanced stages (C and D) at initial diagnosis. Facial tumors observed in Turkish children with BL were more similar to African Burkitt's lymphoma than American or European cases. High titers of antibodies against VCA and EA of EBV were also observed in 32 recent cases of BL. Preliminary molecular and immunologic studies revealed EBV-DNA (type I) and T cell deficiency. The clinical presentation, median age, and association with EBV revealed that BL appears to be inbetween African and non-African types in Turkish children. This will be further elucidated in the future by direct examination of tumor cells for EBV and investigation of the molecular characteristics in these cases.