EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-INDUCED T-CELL LYMPHOMA IN SOLID-ORGAN TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in transplant recipients can lead t o lymphomas termed posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders ( PTLDs). Most PTLDs are malignancies of B lymphocytes and are linked to EBV infection, but the rare T lymphocyte PTLDs have been inconsistent ly linked to EBV infection. Although the B lymphocyte is the main host cell of EBV, it has been suggested that T lymphocytes may also become infected by EBV. A review of EBV-induced PTLDs at our institution ide ntified one of 61 cases that was restricted to T lymphocytes. Of 36 ca ses of T cell PTLD identified through a literature review, 21 were inv estigated for the presence of EBV, and eight (38%) were documented to be EBV-induced. We compared the features of EBV-positive and EBV-negat ive T cell PTLDs and concluded that cases of EBV-positive T cell PTLD have some distinctive clinical features.