Epstein–Barr Virus — An Old Dog with New Tricks

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the human herpesvirus family and, like other herpesviruses, infects and establishes a persistent infection in the host. Clinically, primary infection with EBV ranges from a mild, self-limited illness in children to infectious mononucleosis in adolescents and adults. EBV has been linked to several malignant conditions in humans,1 including the endemic (African) form of Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in patients with AIDS, Hodgkin's disease, and now, as described in separate reports in this issue of the Journal, 2,3 smooth-muscle tumors in immunosuppressed children. McClain et al.2 found an association . . .