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Increased risk of malignant lymphoma indicated by elevated Epstein-Barr virus antibodies—a prospective study

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We estimated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody-associated relative risks (RR) of malignant lymphoma/leukemia within a cohort of 39,000 healthy Finnish adults followed up for 12 years. Antibody analyses to EBV capsid antigen (VCA), early antigen (EA), and nuclear antigens (EBNA, EBNA1, and EBNA2) were based on concomitantly evaluated ELISA techniques. No increased risk was associated with mere EBV seropositivity. However, elevated EBV EA and EBNA antibody levels were associated with a statistically significant excess risk of malignant lymphoma/leukemia (RREA=3.4, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.0–11.0; RREBNA=4.5, CI=1.2–16.9). These elevated antibody responses may be due either to destruction of neoplastic EBV positive B-cells and/or to activation of latent EBV infection early in the lymphomagenesis.

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Authors
  1. Tuula Lehtinen
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  2. Jukka Lumio
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  3. Joakim Dillner
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  4. Matti Hakama
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  5. Paul Knekt
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  6. Matti Lehtinen
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  7. Lyly Teppo
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  8. Pauli Leinikki
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Additional information

Drs Lebtinen and Hakama are with the Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland. Dr Lumio is with the Department of Infectious Diseases, Tampere University Central Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Dr Dillner is with the Department of Virology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Dr Knekt is with the Social Insurance Institute, Helsinki, Finland. Dr Teppo is with the Finnish Cancer Registry, Helsinki, Finland. Dr Leinikki is with the National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. Address correspondence to Dr Lebtinen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Tampere, SF-33101 Tampere, Finland.

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Lehtinen, T., Lumio, J., Dillner, J. et al. Increased risk of malignant lymphoma indicated by elevated Epstein-Barr virus antibodies—a prospective study. Cancer Causes Control 4, 187–193 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051312

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051312

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