DECREASED EXPRESSION OF CELLULAR MARKERS IN EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-POSITIVE HODGKINS-DISEASE

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been demonstrated in the Reed-Sternberg c ells and their mononuclear variants (Hodgkin cells; H-RS cells) in a s ubstantial number of Hodgkin's disease (HD) cases. Moreover, EBV can m odulate both in vivo and in vitro the expression of several cellular g enes, including lymphoid differentiation markers. Therefore we investi gated, in 64 cases of HD, the relationship between the presence of EBV and the expression of lymphoid (CD45RB), T- (CD3, CD45RO), B- (CD20, MB2 antigen, CDw75), and myeloid-cell lineage markers (CD15), and of a ctivation markers (CD30, EMA, and the 115D8 antigen) on the H-RS cells . EBV-positive cases, as demonstrated by the presence of EBER-1 and -2 RNA and LMP-1 protein expression, showed a significant reduction in t he expression on H-RS cells of T-cell lineage (CD3, P < 0.02), B-cell lineage (CD20; P < 0.005), and activation markers (EMA; P < 0.002 and the 115D8 antigen; P < 0.001) as compared with EBV-negative cases. No differences were found in the expression of CD15, CD30, CD45RO, CD45RB , CDw75, or the MB2 antigen on H-RS cells in EBV-positive and EBV-nega tive HD cases. Interestingly, in 11 cases of EBV-negative HD, B- as we ll as T-cell lineage markers could be found on some H-RS cells. These data suggest that EBV in H-RS cells is able to down-regulate the expre ssion of T- (CD3) and B- (CD20) cell lineage markers and lymphoid acti vation markers (EMA and the 115D8 antigen). For this reason, the origi n of H-RS cells in HD, as studied by immunohistochemistry, cannot be d iscussed without taking into account the presence of EBV.