A pathologic study of Hodgkin's disease in Korea and its association with the Epstein-Barr virus infection

✍ Scribed by Jooryung Huh; Changsoo Park; Sangwoo Juhng; Chi Eun Kim; Sibrand Poppema; Chulwoo Kim

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 742 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19960301)77:5<949::aid-cncr22>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

The incidence of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in Korea and other Asian countries is much lower than in western countries and its association with the Epstein-Barr virus has not been well characterized.

METHODS.

We evaluated the clinical, morphologic, and immunohistochemical features of 87 patients with Hodgkin's disease and also analyzed patients for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) using in situ hybridization for EBV DNA, RNA, and latent membrane protein (LMP1).

RESULTS.

There were 68 males and 19 females, with a mean age of 38 years. Mixed cellularity was the most prevalent subtype. Expression of EBV RNA (EBER.EBVencoded RNA) was detected in 60 of 87 cases (69%): 1 of 1 (100%) with lymphocyte predominance, nodular; 4 of 7 (57%) with lymphocyte predominance, diffuse; 10 of 17 (59%) with nodular sclerosis; 38 of 51 (75%) with mixed cellularity; and 7 of 11 (64%) with lymphocyte depletion. Positivity was higher in advanced clinical stages; 4 of 7 patients (57%) with Stage I; 6 of 12 patients (50%) with Stage 11; 7 of 9 patients (75%) with Stage 111; and 5 of 5 patients (100%) with Stage IV HD EBV DNA was detected in 9 of 25 cases tested (36%). LMPl was seen in 39 of 87 cases (45%). EBER and LMPl positivity were higher in children and older adults than in adults aged between 15-50 years. Immediate early mRNAs (BHLF:Bam H-fragment, lower strand frame) was seen in a single patient.