Abstract
This study screened 80 pediatric patients with leukemia and 20 healthy controls, from Sudan, for the presence of Epstein Barr virus. Latent membrane,protein 1 (LMP1) gene transcripts were found in 29 (36.3%) of 80 patients but in none of the controls (P<.0001). The high incidence of LMP1 in these patients, strongly suggests the role of Epstein-Barr virus in the etiology of pediatric leukemia in the Sudan.
Background: Results of several studies have suggested a probable etiologic association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and leukemias; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of EBV in childhood leukemia. Methods: A direct isothermal amplification method was developed for detection of the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) of EBV in the peripheral blood of 80 patients with leukemia (54 had lymphoid leukemia and 26 had myeloid leukemia) and of 20 hematologically healthy control subjects. Results: EBV LMP1 gene transcripts were found in 29 (36.3%) of the 80 patients with leukemia but in none of the healthy controls (P<.0001). Of the 29 EBV+ cases, 23 (79.3%), 5 (17.3%), and 1(3.4%) were acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia, respectively. Conclusion: EBV LMP1 gene transcriptional activity was observed in a significant proportion of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. EBV infection in patients with lymphoid leukemia may be a factor involved in the high incidence of pediatric leukemia in the Sudan.