Researchers have uncovered one of the secrets of Burkitt's lymphoma, which is an extremely dangerous form of cancer. Experts have found out how strongly the Epstein-Barr virus affects the development of this disease.
Burkitt's lymphoma is an extremely high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It develops from B lymphocytes and tends to spread outside the lymphatic system, such as into the blood, bone marrow, and cerebrospinal fluid. This disease affects different age groups, but children and young people, especially men, are most susceptible to it. If the appropriate treatment is not carried out in time, you can observe the rapid progress of the disease and death. Note that cases of this disease are extremely rare in Russia: it is most typical for the Central African regions. Sometimes Burkitt's lymphoma occurs in the United States.
The fact that the causative agent of the disease is the Epstein-Barr virus has been known for a long time. However, until now, the scientific world has faced many mysteries. And now scientists were able to answer one of them regarding the degree of risk of developing Burkitt's lymphoma. The results of the work have been published by Current Opinions in Virology.
The study looked at the Kenyan city of Kisumu, the main population center in western Kenya. It is home to about 400 thousand people. One of the features of this area is that its inhabitants are very often infected with malaria (up to 28% of adults). The study found that contracting maternal malaria during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of Burkitt's lymphoma in babies. Malaria activates the Epstein-Barr virus, which infects many cells. This affects the newborn's immune system, which can eventually lead to the development of Burkitt's lymphoma.
In a number of African regions, the researchers say viral infections cause most cancers. However, this picture is not typical for developed countries: here the main reason is smoking and alcohol consumption.
Earlier, we recall, another group of researchers came to the conclusion that alcohol is the cause of seven types of cancer, including cancer of the larynx, esophageal cancer and breast cancer. Those at greatest risk are those who consume large doses of alcohol.