ANALYSIS OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS IN HODGKINS-DISEASE - EXPERIENCE OF A SINGLE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN KOREA

Hodgkin's disease is known to be associated with Epstein-Barr virus (E BV) infection in Western countries, and viral nucleic acids and protei ns have been identified within Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells, which are th e histopathologic hallmark of the disease process. Twenty-five cases o f Hodgkin's disease from a single university hospital in Korea were st udied for evidence of EBV by in situ hybridization for EBV DNA and RNA and immunohistochemistry for an EBV latent protein. EBV nucleic acids were studied by a rapid (60 minutes) in situ hybridization procedure, which utilized biotinylated DNA probes specific for the following nuc leic acid sequences: (1) EBV EBER1 RNA (an abundant RNA sequence expre ssed during latent EBV infection), (2) EBV NotI repeats (a tandemly re peated DNA sequence, which has been established to identify amplified EBV genome in lytic EBV infection), and (3) BAM HI W (a DNA sequence r eiterated fl times within the viral genome). In addition, immunohistoc hemistry for EBV latent membrane protein, a protein that is capable of inducing cellular transformation in cell culture, was also performed. EBV was identified within the neoplastic RS cells by at least one met hod in 19/25 cases (76%). The mixed cellularity subtype was the most c ommon subtype associated with EBV infection (11/13-85%). in situ hybri dization for EBV EBER1 RNA was the most sensitive method for EBV detec tion and was present in 17/25 cases. A significant proportion of Korea n Hodgkin's disease cases is associated with EBV infection. (C) 1994 W iley-Liss, Inc.