ISSN:
1365-2133
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
To examine the relationship of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a retrospective study was performed using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded skin biopsies from 1 2 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. All cases were immunophenotyped with a panel of monoclonal antibodies including CD45RO, CD43, MB-2, CD20, and CD68. En situ hybridization studies to detect the EBV genome were performed, using the EBV-RNA probes for the early RNAs of EBV. namely HBER and BHLF. Among the 1 2 patients, six had primary CTCL. and six had secondary CTCL. The nasal cavity was the most frequent extracutaneous primary site. Immunophenotypically, all of the cases were of the T-cell lineage. In situ hybridization demonstrated a diffuse strong positive reaction for EBV transcripts (KBKR) nuclear RNA in five out of 12 cases (41·7%) and a negative reaction for BHLF nuclear RNA probe in all the cases studied. Angiocentric lymphomas were positive in three out of the five cases (60%) studied. Secondary CTCL had a higher correlation with EBV than did primary CTCL. especially primary nasal T-cell lymphoma with subsequent cutaneous involvement. The EBV genome in lymphoma cells existed in a latently infected form but not in an actively replicating form. Three out t)f the live EBV-positive patients died. 8 months to 4 years after diagnosis. EBV infection alone in the lymphoma does not seem to affect the prognosis of CTCL patients significantly.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.1996.36789.x
