[Antibodies against the Epstein-Barr Virus nuclear-antigen in children with malignant disease (author's transl)].

Sera of 25 patients and 50 health children were tested for the presence of antibodies against the Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear-Antigen (EBNA). We examined 15 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, who showed a mean arithmatic titer of 1 : 5.33, 1 child with acute myeloblastic leukemia and 1 child with the chronic myeloblastic form showing no reactivity. Two children with lymphogranuloma had titers 1 : 16 and 1 : 32, respectively. 1 patient with lymphoepithelial carcinoma and 5 with lymphosarcoma showed a mean arithmetic titer of 1 : 170.66. Control persons had antibodies against EBNA in the amount of 1 : 2.56. We think that the humoral reactivity against this regularly viral-genome-associated antigen is an additional indicator for the causative role of the Epstein-Barr Virus.