Assessment of Epstein Barr virus association with pediatric non- Hodgkin's lymphomas in immunocompetent and in immunocompromised patients in Argentina

PAOLA ANDREA CHABAY; DE MATTEO, E; MAGLIO, S.; GRINSTEIN, S.; PRECIADO, M. V.

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

College of American Pathologist

Año: 2002 vol. 126 p. 331 - 335

0003-9985

Context: The Epstein Barr virus has been classically associated with three malignancies: Burkitt´s lymphoma, B cell lymphoproliferative syndromes and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and more recently, with Hodgkin´s disease, T-cell lymphomas and gastric and breast carcinomas, as well as leiomyosarcoma and leiomyoma associated with immunosuppression. Objective: According to previous data, we analyzed Epstein Barr Virus expression in an Argentine pediatric population with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma , and correlate these results with clinical course and outcome. Methods: We studied Epstein Barr Virus presence by LMP-1 protein labeling by immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization and PCR for EBERs in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma tissue samples from 32 pediatric patients collected retrospectively at Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, from 1993 to 2000. Results: Eight out of the 32 (25%) non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases showed LMP-1 and EBERs in situ hybridization positive staining in tumor cells.  Among EBERs and LMP-1 positive cases, there were 5 immunocompromised patients, either with HIV infection, or with primary immunodeficiency.  EBERs in situ hybridization results were confirmed by EBERs PCR in good quality DNA from 11 samples, 3 proving positive and 8 negative.  Conclusions: The association of Epstein Barr virus with non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma in the Argentine pediatric population was low (25%), and it raised up to 100% if only the immunocompromised patients subgroup was considered, confirming that the virus is probably a cofactor in the lymphomagenesis of certain but not all pediatric non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So far, no differences in clinical outcome are discernible between Epstein Barr virus positive and negative non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.