Epstein Barr virus (EBV) carrying cells in blood of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients with high antibody titers against EBV capsid antigens (VCA).

Three patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 7 patients with non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who had high antibody titers against Epstein Barr virus (EBV) capsid antigens (VCA) were studied for the occurrence of EBV carrying B cells in the blood. The outgrowth of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) in their blood lymphocyte culture was tested in the presence of Cyclosporin A, which abrogates the growth inhibitory effect of T cells. Transformation occurred in the cultures of 4/10 patients and 4/10 age matched healthy individuals. The frequency of transformation in wells seeded with identical cells number from these 4 individuals in each group did not differ. Thus the lymphoma patients with high anti VCA titers did not show elevated level of EBV carrying B cells in the blood.