Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung: Analysis of two cases for Epstein-Barr virus infection

• Published in: Human pathology 1995-11, Vol.26 (11), p.1278-1282
• Main Authors: Higashiyama, Masahiko, Doi, Osamu, Kodama, Ken, Yokouchi, Hideoki, Tateishi, Ryuhei, Horiuchi, Keisuke, Mishima, Kenji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - complications; Adenocarcinoma - genetics; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - complications; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - genetics; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; DNA, Neoplasm - analysis; DNA, Neoplasm - genetics; DNA, Viral - analysis; DNA, Viral - genetics; Epstein-Barr virus; Herpesviridae Infections - complications; Herpesviridae Infections - genetics; Herpesviridae Infections - pathology; Herpesvirus 4, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 4, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization; lung carcinoma; Lung Neoplasms - complications; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pneumology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Viral - analysis; RNA, Viral - genetics; Tumor Virus Infections - complications; Tumor Virus Infections - genetics; Tumor Virus Infections - pathology; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/0046-8177(95)90206-6

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, which is an uncommon histological type of epithelial tumor, has been described as being closely associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in organs other than the lung. Recently, we experienced two surgically resected cases of pulmonary tumors mimicking lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma. Both cases contained EBV DNA genomes as shown by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using EBV DNA-specific primers, one positive for EBV DNA in virtually all cancer cells, and the other showing positive hybridization in a small number of cancer cells by in situ hybridization (ISH) using digoxigenin-labeled olignucletide probes for each of EBV DNA for EBV DNA. EBV-encoded RNA-1 (EBER1) was typically detected in one case. These results are highly suggestive of EBV-associated tumors in one of the current cases, although in the other case, no such close association was determined. It seems that lymphoepithelioma-like pulmonary carcinoma, which seems extremely unusual, may be closely associated with EBV infection in tumorigenesis.