Epstein-Barr virus genomes in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Seventeen of 40 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and eight of 46 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) were associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, judged by the EBER-1 in situ hybridization (ISH) method. Approximately 40% incidence in HD was comparable to previous reports. Young children and elderly HD patients were more prone to be found EBV positive. Fourteen of 17 HD and two of 8 NHL cases with positive EBER-1 ISH were also positive on LMP-1 immunostaining. EBV might have a role in lymphomagenesis in these cases. The fact that 7 of 8 EBV-related NHL were peripheral T cell lymphoma indicates the necessity of a larger-scale survey on this subject. As the present study revealed four cases with positive LMP-1 immunostaining but negative EBER-1 ISH (1 HD, 3 NHL), LMP-1 alone should not be regarded as a tool to prove EBV infection.