Epstein-barr virus and hodgkin lymphoma.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is detected in some Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) tumor cells. Primary infection is associated with infectious mononucleosis and EBV(+) HL. Vaccines and antiviral drugs show promise in modulating the clinical course of infectious mononucleosis. Their impact on HL is entirely unknown. T-cell function may be important in the pathogenesis of HL. In HIV patients, higher CD4 counts are associated with an increased incidence of EBV(+) HL. One of the roles of the virus in the pathogenesis of HL may be to mimic signals associated with surface immunoglobulin molecules. New approaches to imaging EBV-associated tumors may be on the horizon. Adoptive immunotherapy and virus-specific pharmacologic therapies offer promise for future treatment.