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Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is an infection that in some cases can cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to develop. EBV is a virus that infects B lymphocytes (B-cells), a type of white blood cell that fights infections and disease. EBV causes B-cells to grow and divide, extending the cells' life span beyond normal limits. In most children, the virus causes infectious mononucleosis. Mononucleosis is usually not a serious disease because B-cells infected with EBV are usually destroyed by the child's T lymphocytes (T-cells), another type of infection-fighting white blood cell.
However, if the immune system has been previously compromised because of an inherited genetic condition, previous drug or radiation treatment, an HIV infection, or other unknown causes, the T-cells may not function properly. When this combination of events occurs, B-cells can grow and develop out of control, causing other changes in the balance of cell production that leads to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. For more information on diagnosing and treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, go to the overall section on lymphoma or see Burkitt's lymphoma, the most common lymphoma associated with EBV.
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Epstein Barr Related Lymphoma
