Immunological reactions to tumor-associated antigens in Burkitts lymphoma and other lymphomas.

disease, and in other lymphomas. Patients with leukemia and lymphoma, but not carcinomas, also reacted with extracts of tumor-derived lymphoid cell lines. Studies of in vitro cell-mediated cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells, using the 51Cr release assay, also gave evidence for reactivity against tumor-associated antigens. In humoral and cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays against lymphoid tissue culture cells, widespread natural reactivity was found. The nature of the antigens detected in these assays is discussed, particularly the possible relationship to EpsteinBarr virus. Delayed skin reactivity to the extracts of lymphoid cell lines was found to correlate with elevated Epstein-Barr virus antibody titers.