Presence of human beta- and gamma-herpes virus DNA in Hodgkin's disease

Herpes Viruses have been implicated in the etiology of Hodgkin's disease (H D). We studied the prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpes viruses type-6 (HHV-6), type-7 (HHV-7) and type 8 (HHV-8) DNA in up to 88 H odgkin's disease biopsies in comparison to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and reactive l esions served as controls. CMV and HHV-6 were found in 8/86 (9%) and 11/88 (13%) HD cases, respectively, by nested primer PCR. Except for three cases harbouring HHV-6 type-B, only HHV-6 type-A was detected in HD. HHV-7 was ob served by nested PCR in 33/88 (38%) HD cases and was already detectable in 15/88 (17%) HD cases by a single-round PCR indicating elevated virus copy n umbers. Seven of these cases showed co-infection with HHV-6, and 11 cases w ere found to contain EBV DNA. 7/8 CMV-positive HD cases also harboured EBV DNA. HHV-8 DNA was not detected by single round or nested PCR in any HD cas e investigated. Thus, CMV, HHV-6, and HHV-7 were present in small proportio ns of HD cases, with frequent co-infection of HHV-6 and HHV-7, and frequent association with EBV. In contrast to EBV, beta-herpes viruses are therefor e unlikely to have a role in the aetiology of HD. Rather, the presence of t hese viruses seems to reflect impaired immunological surveillance. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.