Epstein–Barr-Virus Induced Lymphoproliferation: Implications for Antiviral Chemotherapy

EPSTEIN–BARR virus (EBV), a transforming herpesvirus that infects and replicates in B lymphocytes, is being increasingly recognized as a cause of lymphoproliferative disorders in immunodeficient hosts. Males with the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome, 1 , 2 recipients of renal, 3 bone-marrow, 4 or cardiac transplants, 5 and patients with severe combined immunodeficiency, 6 ataxia telangiectasia, 7 or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome 8 have had fatal EBV-induced lymphoproliferative disorders. Infrequently, normal persons may die of EBV-induced lymphoproliferative disorders 9 including those of the central nervous system. 10 Treatment of these disorders has not been particularly successful, and antiviral agents are being investigated. One such agent, acyclovir (9-[2-hydroxyethoxy-methyl] guanine) was recently found to be . . .