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Viral involvement in Hodgkin's disease.
1Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden, Scotland.
International Journal of Cell Cloning
|November 1, 1992
Summary
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to about 40% of Hodgkin's disease (HD) cases, particularly in children and older adults. Young adults with HD rarely show EBV, suggesting another cause for this age group.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Virology
- Pathogenesis
Background:
- The exact cause of Hodgkin's disease (HD) remains unknown.
- Growing evidence implicates the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in a subset of HD cases.
- EBV genomes and latent genes are found in Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells, the presumed malignant cells in HD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease (HD).
- To determine the prevalence and distribution of EBV in different subtypes and age groups of HD.
Main Methods:
- In situ hybridization was used to detect EBV within Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells.
- Epidemiological data and case studies were analyzed to assess EBV association across HD subtypes and age demographics.
Main Results:
- EBV was detected in RS cells in approximately 40% of all Hodgkin's disease cases studied.
- EBV association varied significantly by HD subtype, with mixed cellularity cases more frequently positive than nodular sclerosis cases.
- Pediatric and older adult HD cases showed a higher prevalence of EBV association compared to young adult cases, which rarely harbored EBV.
Conclusions:
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of a considerable proportion of Hodgkin's disease (HD) cases.
- HD is a heterogeneous disease, with EBV involvement differing across age groups and histological subtypes.
- The low prevalence of EBV in young adult HD suggests an alternative etiological agent may be responsible for the characteristic incidence peak in this demographic.