[Nodular paragranuloma and Epstein-Barr virus: frequency of EBV DNA and clinical relevance]

Studies demonstrating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in Hodgkin's disease (HD) provide little information about the EBV-status in the lymphocyte predominant subtype (nodular paragranuloma) which is due to the small number of cases investigated. Therefore we studied 99 typical cases of nodular paragranuloma for the presence of EBV-DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Genomic DNA was amplifiable in 71 cases; 29 cases (= 40%) were positive for EBV-DNA (EBNA-1). In situ hybridization revealed EBV-RNA (EBER-1) in L&H cells and in a few lymphocytes. PCR results were correlated to clinical follow-up data and did not show any statistically significant relationship between EBV positivity and survival of the patients.