Antibodies to Epstein–Barr-Virus Antigens before and after the Development of Burkitt's Lymphoma in a Patient Treated for Hodgkin's Disease

Abstract

THE nearly universal association of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) with African Burkitt's lymphoma has been established by serologic procedures,¹ demonstration of viral DNA in tumor biopsies by nucleic acid hybridization technics^{2 3 4 5} and detection of EBV-determined antigens within tumor cells⁶ or on their membranes.⁷ The capacity of EBV to transform lymphocytes in vitro into permanently growing lymphoblastoid cells⁸ and to induce lymphoid neoplasms in several nonhuman primates^{9 , 10} clearly indicates that it has an oncogenic potential. Since EBV is a common virus and the cause of infectious mononucleosis,¹¹ its putative role in the origin of Burkitt's lymphoma cannot be envisioned without introduction of . . .