DETECTION OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS TRANSCRIPTS IN ANAPLASTIC LARGE-CELL LYMPHOMAS BY MESSENGER-RNA IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a recently proposed subset of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. To determine whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with this lymphoma, we performed mRNA in situ hybridiza tion on seven cases of ALCL using a probe consisting of an RNA sequenc e complementary to the transcripts of BamHIW fragment of the EBV genom e. We detected BamHIW transcripts of EBV in the majority of atypical l arge cells of all cases of ALCL, but in none of three cases of lymphob lastic and small lymphocytic lymphomas. Furthermore, we detected laten t membrane protein-1 (LMP1) in two cases of ALCL by means of immunoflu orescence and immunoperoxidase stainings. These findings suggest that EBV is involved in the neoplastic transformation for ALCL as in the ca se of Hodgkin's disease, which shares several clinicopathologic featur es with ALCL. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.