EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS IN MALIGNANCIES IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS IN JAPAN

A role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the development of malignancies including lymphomas, and carcinoma of the stomach, nasopharynx, thymu s and salivary gland is suggested. It is indicated that EBV evokes pol yclonal-B-cell-proliferative diseases in immunocompromised hosts, such as transplant patients, which results in monoclonal malignant lymphom as. The suppression of immune functions in these patients is thought t o lead to incomplete elimination of the cells expressing EBV latent in fection genes. To examine the etiological role of EBV in the developme nt of malignancies following renal transplant in Japan, 42 malignancie s in 1744 cases of renal transplant were studied for the presence and type of EBV. The polymerase chain reaction revealed that 5 malignancie s were positive for EBV, all type A: 2 of 2 cases of non-Hodgkin's lym phoma (NHL), 2 of 8 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma of the common type , and 1 of 2 cases of gastric plasmacytoma. In situ hybridization reve aled positive signals in the nucleus of tumor cells in 2 cases of NHL and I of plasmacytoma. Positive signals were found in the small lympho id cells but not in the tumor cells in 2 cases of gastric carcinoma. O n the basis of these findings, a role for EBV in the development of ma lignancies in renal transplant patients is unlikely except for lymphoi d neoplasias.