DETECTION OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS DNA IN TONGUE TISSUES FROM AIDS AUTOPSIES WITHOUT CLINICAL-EVIDENCE OF ORAL HAIRY LEUKOPLAKIA

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was detected by in situ hybridization at 3 sites of 30 samples taken from clinically normal lateral border of t ongue mucosa from 15 AIDS autopsies and in none of 20 samples from 10 controls. The first positive case showed a thin layer of parakeratosis correlated with positive signals for EBV in one area and an adjacent area without obvious parakeratosis was also positive for EBV. These fi ndings were present on both sides of the tongue. The second case was u nilaterally positive for EBV and parakeratosis was absent. The hybridi zation signals were localised to koilocyte-like cells in the stratum s pinosum, as in oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL). These observations sugges t that the in situ hybridization technique can detect very early or su bclinical OHL, and supports the role of EBV in the pathogenesis of thi s lesion.