Epstein-Barr virus antibody in childhood Hodgkin's disease
T. C. Shope, A. S. Khalifa, S. T. Smith and B. Cushing
Fifteen patients with childhood onset of Hodgkin's disease were studied for
prevalence and quantity of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody to learn about
the relationship between infection with EBV and Hodgkin's disease. Findings
indicated that, compared with normal child control subjects, prevalence of
EBV antibody is not increased in Hodgkin's disease, but the quantity of
antibody increases as the duration of Hodgkin's disease increases. It seems
that EBV plays no role in the cause of Hodgkin's disease and that
production of greater amounts of antibody relates to immunoregulatory
defects associated with Hodgkin's disease.
