Presence of elevated antibody titres to Epstein-Barr virus before Hodgkin's disease.

Sera taken 12 and 21 months before the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease in two patients showed higher antibody levels to several Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV) antigens than did sera from eight matched controls. In one case the titres of all EB antibodies except that to nuclear antigen were raised in a serum sample obtained 45 months after the diagnosis was made. Antibody levels to herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus, and varicella zoster viruses were normal in both cases. A third patient with histiocytic lymphoma had normal EBV and other herpes antibody titres in a serum sample taken 40 months before diagnosis.