HIGH IRRADIATION SENSITIVITY OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS (EBV) IN LYMPHOBLASTOID-CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH ATAXIA-TELANGIECTASIA AND EBV GENOME-POSITIVE BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines derive d from the peripheral blood of patients with ataxia telangiectasia (AT ) and EBV genome-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) were tested for expr ession of EBV-related lytic antigens by means of irradiation. We used 1 Gy in each experiment, according to the results of the P3HR-1 (deriv ed from African BL) cell line. Significantly higher expression of earl y antigens (EA) and viral capsid antigen (VCA) was demonstrated in lym phoblastoid cell lines derived from both patients with AT and those wi th EBV genome-positive BL, as compared to those derived from healthy i ndividuals. These results suggested that defective regulating mechanis ms on B lymphocytes, responsible for EBV infection, may underlie for t he pathogenesis of development of lymphoproliferative diseases both in patients with AT and EBV genome-positive BL.