RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 T/NK cell type chronic active Epstein–Barr virus disease in adults: an underlying condition for Epstein–Barr virus-associated T/NK-cell lymphoma JF Journal of Clinical Pathology JO J Clin Pathol FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists SP 278 OP 282 DO 10.1136/jclinpath-2011-200523 VO 65 IS 3 A1 Yasushi Isobe A1 Nanae Aritaka A1 Yasuhiro Setoguchi A1 Yoshinori Ito A1 Hiroshi Kimura A1 Yasuharu Hamano A1 Koichi Sugimoto A1 Norio Komatsu YR 2012 UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/65/3/278.abstract AB A chronic infectious mononucleosis-like illness caused by Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is called ‘chronic active EBV disease’, which is defined as an EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease. This lymphoproliferative disease is rare and predominantly occurs in Japanese children. Between 1998 and 2010, seven adult-onset cases (aged 20–45 years, median 39 years) were identified, which initially presented with inflammatory diseases, including hepatitis, interstitial pneumonitis, uveitis, nephritis and hypersensitivity to mosquito bites. They showed an EBV viral load in the peripheral blood and evidence of EBV infection of T or natural killer (NK) cells. Five cases (71.4%) developed EBV-positive T/NK-cell lymphoma/leukaemia at a median of 5 years (range 1–7 years) after the diagnosis. Although l-asparaginase-containing chemotherapy was effective for the lymphomas, only allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation eradicated EBV-infected cells. This observation indicates that persistent EBV infection of T or NK cells defines a distinct disease entity, which provides an underlying condition for EBV-positive T/NK-cell lymphoma/leukaemia.