Loss of expression of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-2 correlates with a poor prognosis in cases of pyothorax-associated lymphoma

✍ Scribed by Tetsuya Takakuwa; Maria Francisca Ham; Wen-Juan Luo; Shin-ichi Nakatsuka; Masanori Daibata; Katsuyuki Aozasa

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 298 KB
• Volume: 118
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.21725

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Pyothorax‐associated lymphoma (PAL) is a non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, which develops in the pleural cavity of patients who have had pyothorax for over 20 years, and is strongly associated with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection. The expression of latent genes, especially EBV nuclear antigen‐2 (EBNA‐2), influences the growth characteristics and malignant features of EBV‐infected cells. Here, the effect of EBNA‐2 expression on clinical features was examined in 13 cases of PAL. The EBNA‐2 transcript was detected in 8 cases but was absent in 5. There was a significant difference in survival between patients with the transcripts and those without: the 1‐year survival rate was 87.5 and 0%, respectively (p < 0.01). There was a discrepancy between EBNA‐2 expression and EBNA promoter usage in 6 cases. The Cp/Wp promoter was used in 3 EBNA‐2‐negative cases, whereas the Qp promoter or multiple promoters were used in 3 EBNA‐2‐positive cases. Analysis of PAL cell lines provided a clue as to the mechanism underlying the discrepancy between EBNA‐2 expression and EBNA promoter usage. Loss of EBNA‐2 expression, irrespective of the latency pattern, is correlated with a poor prognosis, suggesting that down‐regulation of the EBNA‐2 expression could be selection pressure for the progression of PAL. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.