BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA IN TURKISH CHILDREN - CLINICAL, VIRAL [EBV] AND MOLECULAR STUDIES

Eighty-one Turkish children with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) were observed during a period of 24 years (1968-1992). The diagnosis was establishe d histologically according to WHO criteria. BL represented 48.5% of NH L in this series. The median age of patients was 5 years with a sex (M /F) ratio of 2.3/1. The most common primary site of tumor involvement at initial presentation was the abdomen (70.4%), which was followed by facial tumors, in particular the jaw and orbit (45.7%). The majority of the patients (84.0%) were in advanced stages (C and D) at initial d iagnosis. Facial tumors observed in Turkish children with BL were more similar to African Burkitt's lymphoma than American or European cases . High titers of antibodies against VCA and EA of EBV were also observ ed in 32 recent cases of BL. Preliminary molecular and immunologic stu dies revealed EBV-DNA (type I) and T cell deficiency. The clinical pre sentation, median age, and association with EBV revealed that BL appea rs to be inbetween African and non-African types in Turkish children. This will be further elucidated in the future by direct examination of tumor cells for EBV and investigation of the molecular characteristic s in these cases.