NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMAS COMPLICATING SJOGRENS-SYNDROME - CAN EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS BE IMPLICATED

We examined eight (6 parotid, 1 caecum, 1 lymph node) non Hodgkin's Ly mphomas (NHL) complicating primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS), four parot id NHL, in patients without SS, and three salivary gland biopsies from SS patients and no NHL, for Epstein Barr virus (EBV), using immunohis tochemistry for late membrane protein, in situ hybridisation (ISH) for EBER, and PCR for EBV DNA. Late membrane protein was not detected. In NHL's complicating SS, EBERs were detected in two parotid lymphomas b y ISH. EBV DNA was detected in three SS parotid NHL. Cecal and lymph n ode SS NHL were negative for EBER and EBV DNA. EBV DNA was detected in two non SS NHLs, one expressed EBER. Despite positive EBV DNA results by PCR in three samples expression of EBER was noted in only one by I SH. This was a high grade NHL complicating SS. There was no evidence o f EBV in low grade NHLs complicating SS.