VARIABLE EXPRESSION OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS LATENT MEMBRANE-PROTEIN-I IN REED-STERNBERG CELLS OF HODGKINS-DISEASE

Reed-Sternberg cells (RS cells) of Hodgkin's disease (HD) are frequent ly infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and express EBV-encoded nonp olyadenylated RNA transcripts (EBER)-1. EBV latency has been classifie d into three distinct forms: Latency I, expressing only one of the lat ent proteins, EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA)-1, latency II, coexpressing E BNA-1 and LMPs, and latency III, expressing all latent viral proteins, RS cells express LMP-1 in addition to EBNA-1 and are considered to be in EBV latency II frequently encountered in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We examined 13 cases of EBV-infected HD by combined EBER-1 in situ hy bridization and immunostaining for LMP-1. All of the RS cells expresse d EBER-1, but a substantial number of EBER-1(+) RS cells were negative for LMP-1. The percentage of LMP-1(+) RS cells out of EBER-1(+) RS ce lls varied from 7% to 100% (average 69%). In this study, we showed tha t all EBV-infected RS cells were not restricted to latency II, and som e belonged to latency I.