The pathogenesis of neoplastic transformation of lymphoid cells is heterogeneous. Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) is a representative oncogenic virus related with malignant lymphoma and has a particular tropism for epithelium of the pharynx and salivary glan...
The pathogenesis of neoplastic transformation of lymphoid cells is heterogeneous. Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) is a representative oncogenic virus related with malignant lymphoma and has a particular tropism for epithelium of the pharynx and salivary gland duct, and infects through the oropharynx, invading B lymphocytes that have CD21 receptor. EBV has been implicated in the pathogenesis of B lymphoproliferative disorders in state of defective immunoregulation, such as autoimmune diseases, AIDS, recipients of renal allografts and X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome. Recent studies suggest that EBV is associated with wide spectrum of malignant lymphoma including T-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and Ki-1 lymphoma.
To invetigate the association of EBV with malignant lymphomas and realation to anatomic site, cell-lineage and histopathological subtype, 4.1 cases of B-cell lymphoma, 17 cases of T-cell lymphoma, 4 cases of unclassifiable lymphoma and 1 case of Ki-1 anaplastic large cell lymphoma were examined by immunohistochemical stain using Epstein Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen (EBNA). The EBNA was detected in 1.7.5% of malignant lymphoma5 in which T-cell lymphomas(26.9%) rather than B-cell lymphomas(l4.6%) show much higher positive rate. The EBNA was obsered in 6 cases out of 29 cases of extranodal lymphoma(20.7%), and 5 in 34 cases of nodal lymphoma(14.7%). One case of Ki-1 lymphoma show strong positive reactions in the nucleoplasm.
In conclusion, T-cell lymphomas and extranodal lymphomas have more higher association with EBV infection than B-cell and nodal lymphoma.