Association between Epstein-Barr virus and Hodgkin's lymphoma in Belgium: A pathological and virological study

• Published in: Leukemia & lymphoma 2007-01, Vol.48 (7), p.1323-1331
• Main Authors: Trimèche, Mounir, Bonnet, Christophe, Korbi, Sadok, Boniver, Jacques, Leval, Laurence de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Belgium - epidemiology; Child; Epstein-Barr virus; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - diagnosis; Female; Hematology; Herpesvirus 4, Human - genetics; Hodgkin Disease - epidemiology; Hodgkin Disease - virology; Hodgkin's lymphoma; Human health sciences; Humans; Hématologie; in situ hybridization; latent membrane protein-1 deletions; Male; Middle Aged; Palatine Tonsil - virology; polymerase chain reaction; Prevalence; Reed-Sternberg Cells - virology; Risk Factors; Sciences de la santé humaine; Sequence Deletion; typing of EBV; Viral Matrix Proteins - genetics
• ISSN: 1042-8194; 1029-2403; 1029-2403
• DOI: 10.1080/10428190701411177

The association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) varies according to the geographic location. In this work we sought to characterize EBV involvement in a series of 111 cHL cases diagnosed in Belgium. The overall prevalence of EBV infection detected by in situ hybridization in Reed-Sternberg cells was 33%. EBV positivity correlated with older age at diagnosis (>54 years; p = 0.01), mixed cellularity subtype (p = 0.000001), male gender (p = 0.004) and tended to be associated with higher clinical stage (III IV; p = 0.02). The molecular features of the virus in EBV-positive cHL were studied by comparison with a series of reactive tonsils. A 30-bp deletion within the LMP-1 gene was in 15 28 (53.6%) EBV-positive cHL cases, and in 41.7% of reactive tonsil samples. This variant did not correlate with any clinical or pathological feature. The EBV strain was type A in all cHL and reactive samples.