Epstein-Barr Virus in Patients with Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Aim. To evaluate diagnostic and prognostic significance of EBV markers in patients with EBV-negative lymphomas.

Methods. The clinical trial included 13 cHL-patients admitted at the Department of chemotherapy of hemoblastoses of NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center. The male to female ratio was 1:1.3, the median age was 26.4 years. Leukocyte and lymphocyte counts were evaluated in all the patients before, during, and after treatment as well as throughout the follow-up period. The same indicators were analysed in the control group which contained 40 healthy persons (with the median age of 41.1 years, male to female ratio 1.5:1). The study was based on serologic test for EBV antibodies and quantitative analysis of the viral DNA copy number in plasma.

Results. The obtained data show a low immunie response to EBV and its diminishment after several polychemotherapy treatment cycles, correlating with decreased leukocyte and lymphocyte levels. As opposed to levels of virus-specific antibodies which do not reflect the efficacy of anticancer therapy, plasma EBV DNA concentration in 2 patients decreased to 0 after remission had been achieved.

Conclusion. Although the number of observations is limited, one could suggest that viral load values in plasma of patients with EBV-negative lymphomas can prove to be a useful marker of anticancer therapeutic effect. Additional studies of these markers are required.

• Vladimir Eduardovich Gurtsevitch NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• E.A. Demina NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• N.B. Senyuta NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• I.V. Botezatu NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• K.V. Smirnova NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• T.E. Dushen’kina NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• D.M. Maksimovich NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• U.V. Paramonova NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• I.S. Monin NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478
• A.V. Lichtenshtein NN Blokhin National Medical Cancer Research Center, 24 Kashirskoye sh., Moscow, Russian Federation, 115478 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ онкологии им. Н.Н. Блохина» Минздрава России, Каширское ш., д. 24, Москва, Российская Федерация, 115478

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