Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Adults Characterized by High Viral Genome Load within Circulating Natural Killer Cells

Fox, C. P.
Shannon-Lowe, C.
Gothard, P.
Kishore, B.
Neilson, J.
O'Connor, N.
Rowe, M.

¹ School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston
² Department of Infectious Diseases, University College London Hospitals, London
³ Department of Haematology, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley
⁴ Department of Haematology, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

Received 13 January 2010; accepted 22 March 2010; electronically published 26 May 2010.

Reprints or correspondence: Dr C. P. Fox, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, West Midlands, B15 2TT, United Kingdom ([email protected]).

1058-4838/2010/5101-0009$15.00

Clinical Infectious Diseases 51(1):p 66-69, July 1, 2010. | DOI: 10.1086/653424

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and aggressive disease usually encountered in the context of primary EBV infection. In most analyzed cases, EBV has been found predominantly in T cells. We describe the novel finding of high EBV genome numbers within circulating natural killer cells in adult patients with EBV-HLH.