EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-ASSOCIATED LARGE GRANULAR LYMPHOCYTE LEUKEMIA WITHCUTANEOUS INFILTRATION

A 36-year-old man had a high titer of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus ( EBV) and recurrent necrotizing papules and nodules on his face and ora l mucosa. The disease was diagnosed as CD3(+)4(-) 8(+) large granular lymphocyte leukemia of T-cell origin. Southern blot analysis demonstra ted that EBV DNA was present in CD8(+) lymphocytes; EBV antigens were also observed in these lymphocytes. These findings demonstrated that E BV latently infected the leukemic cells and may have played a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. This is the first report of an assoc iation between EBV and large granular lymphocyte leukemia of T-cell or igin.