Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated antibody patterns in malignant lymphoma and leukemia. II. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphocytic lymphoma

Sera from Swedish patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphocytic lymphona (LL) were titrated for antibodies to viral capsid antigens (VCA) of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by the indirect immunofluorescence technique and to EBV-determined cell membrane antigens by blocking of direct cell membrane immunofluorescence (BI). Previously tested sera from healthy Swedish donors served as controls. While 40% of the sera from CLL patients showed relatively high serological reactivities, the mean anti-VCA and BI values did not differ significantly from the control group. The LL group of sera showed significantly higher reactivities than the controls. The most highly reactive sera were found in patients with poorly differentiated LL at frequencies and with mean values approaching those seen in Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Hodgkin's sarcoma.     

On-site digital quantitative coronary angiography: comparison with visual readings in interventional procedures

In order to review the morphological criterion for an interventional procedure, diameter stenosis (%DS) of 226 coronary lesions in 200 patients undergoing elective coronary angiography with an option for ‘prima vista’ angioplasty (pPTCA), was assessed on-site by both visual ‘eye balling’ (EB) and independent digital quantitative coronary angiography (DQCA) by means of an angiographic workstation. Compared to DQCA, EB overestimated the %DS between 50 and 80% and accounted for the majority of discrepancies with overestimation up to 45%. Concordant estimates of %DS by both methods were observed in only 10 of the total of 226 stenotic segments; in 20 of 226 cases, EB underestimated %DS up to 20%. EB revealed a %DS ≥ 60% in 166 stenoses (73.4%), an estimate that led to subsequent pPTCA. However, only 119 (52.6%) of these lesions had a %DS ≥ 60% as assessed objectively by DQCA. With regard to the criterion for PTCA 47 of 166 performed pPTCA (28.3%) would not meet the indication criteria based on objective DQCA information. EB and DQCA (± 5%DS) had concordant results and criteria for pPTCA only in 103 of 166 coronary lesions (62.1%). These results lead to the conclusion that, on-site and on-line DQCA by an independent cardiologist eliminates both under- and overestimation of stenoses as seen with EB. DQCA supports immediate decision-making and appears necessary for reliable evaluation of coronary morphology in an interventional catheterization laboratory setting and may eventually ensure intraprocedural quality control.     

Application of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology to the diagnosis of North American nasopharyngeal carcinoma

A cooperative study was established among a number of institutions in the USA to determine the clinical value of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology for the diagnosis of different histopathological types of North American nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) including occult primary tumors. One hundred-twenty-four patients with confirmed NPC have now been entered into the study. For each patient, anti-EBV antibody titers were determined at diagnosis and related to the histopathology as classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The results suggest that certain anti-EBV antibodies are of potential value for the diagnosis of undifferentiated types of NPC but not for the well-differentiated cancer. The IgA anti-VCA antibody response is the most specific for this disease and of the greatest diagnostic value when used alone or in combination with the anti-EA test. These tests have also been used successfully for the detection of occult NPC. These results indicate that these tests can be useful aids to the clinician for the diagnosis of certain histopathologic types of this disease.     

Detection of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen by immune adherence hemagglutination.

The immune adherence hemagglutination assay was found to be as sensitive and specific as the indirect immunofluorescence technique for titration of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen. Satisfactory virus capsid antigen-specific and negative control antigens for the immune adherence hemagglutination assay were prepared from cell extracts of the Epstein-Barr virus producer P3HR-1 and the Epstein-Barr virus genome-negative BJAB lymphoblastoid cell lines, respectively. As the immune adherence hemagglutination assay can be used to titrate antibodies to both the heterophil antigen of the Paul-Bunnell type and to virus capsid antigen, it offers a promising alternative to the immunofluorescence methods in the serodiagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus infections which can be performed by most diagnostic laboratories.     

Antibody patterns to herpesviruses in Kaposi's sarcoma. II. Serological association of American Kaposi's sarcoma with cytomegalovirus.

The prominent finding of this extended serologic analysis on American and African Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) patients and appropriately matched control groups is the detection of a specific serologic association of cytomegalovirus (CMV) with American KS patients. All American KS sera contained CMV antibodies and their geometric mean titers (GMT) were significantly higher than those in sera of melanoma patients (GMT ratio k = 5.3 to 7.7 by complement fixation [CF], k = 8.9 by indirect hemagglutination [IHA]) or in sera of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (k = 12.6 to 16.0 by CF, k = 12.6 by IHA). The result is strongly reminiscent of the data obtained previously for European KS. Although the GMT to CMV of African KS patients were similar to the GMT of the American KS groups, their significance cannot be demonstrated due to the high background of CMV infections in the control groups. Complex mechanisms are hypothesized, by analogy with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) involvement in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), for a CMV involvement in the development of KS.     

Zytochemischer Polymorphismus der sauren Phosphatase bei Haarzell-Leukämie

Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe zytochemischer Untersuchungen kann bei der Haarzell-Leukämie ein Polymorphismus der sauren Phosphatase (SP) nachgewiesen werden. In einem von vier untersuchten Fällen fehlt jegliche SP in den Haarzellen, bei zweien ist nur tartratsensible SP nachweisbar, im vierten tartratresistente SP in hoher Aktivität. Nach unseren Erfahrungen spricht das Fehlen tartratresistenter SP nicht gegen die Diagnose Haarzell-Leukämie.

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Summary In four cases of hairy cell leukemia a cytochemical polymorphism concerning acid phosphatase (AP) is evident. Any AP is lacking in all hairy cells of one case; only tartrate inhibitable AP is occurring in two cases; in another case tartrate resistant AP is found in high activity. Thus, the lack of tartrate resistant AP seems not to be an argument against hairy cell leukemia.