Špaček M, Hubáček P, Marková J, Zajac M, Vernerová Z, Kamarádová K, Stuchlý J, Kozák T. APMIS. 2011 Jan;119(1):10–6. IF: 1.745
Abstract:
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with approximately one-third of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cases. EBV-DNA is often present in the plasma and whole blood of EBV-associated HL patients. However, the significance of EBV-DNA monitoring is debated.
In a cohort of 165 adult HL patients, EBV-DNA viral load was prospectively monitored both in the plasma and whole blood. Diagnostic tissue samples of all patients were histologically reviewed; in 72 % nodular sclerosis was detected, 24 % presented with mixed cellularity (MC), and 5 % had other type of HL. Tissues from 150 patients were also analyzed for the presence of latent EBV infection using in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) and immunohistochemistry for latent membrane protein (LMP1). Using these methods, 29 (19 %) patients were classified as EBV positive. Using real-time quantitative PCR, 22 (76 %) of EBV-positive HL patients had detectable EBV-DNA in the plasma and 19 (66 %) patients in whole blood prior to therapy. In the group of EBV-negative HL cases, three (2 %) patients had detectable plasma EBV-DNA and 30 (25 %) patients whole blood EBV-DNA before treatment. EBV-positive HL was significantly associated with EBV-DNA positivity both in the plasma and whole blood in pretreatment samples, increasing age and MC subtype. Serial analysis of plasma EBV-DNA showed that response to therapy was associated with decline in viral load. Moreover, significantly increased plasma EBV-DNA level recurred before disease relapse in one patient. Our results further suggest that the assessment of plasma EBV-DNA viral load might be of value for estimation of prognosis and follow-up of patients with EBV-positive HL.
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