Epstein-Barr virus-latent membrane protein 1 expression has a favorable influence in the outcome of patients with Hodgkin's disease treated with chemotherapy

The effect of molecular factors in the outcome of Hodgkin's Disease (HD) is being currently studied. In a previous series of HD, including patients tr eated only with radiotherapy and patients treated with chemotherapy (with o r without radiotherapy), we found that a high proliferation index had an ad verse influence in overall survival (OS) and in the achievement of a comple te remission (CR). Loss of Rb expression also had an adverse prognostic inf luence in achievement of CR, On the other hand LMP1-EBV expression had a fa vorable influence for OS. The expression of other molecular factors, p53, b c12 and CD15 did not show prognostic influence. In the present paper we hav e studied the effect of these molecular variables in 110 patients, of the p revious series who had been treated with chemotherapy. A retrospective stud y was performed in these 110 patients with HD treated with chemotherapy (AB VD or variants, 62%, or regimes not containing adriamycin, 38%) with or wit hout adjutant radiotherapy, collected at the 11 centers belonging to the Sp anish Collaborative Group for the Study of Hodgkin's Disease. The prognosti c value of clinical variables and the expression of p53, bc12, CD15, Rb, LM P I-EBV and proliferative fraction demonstrated with sensitive immunohistoc hemical methods were studied. Cox's multivariate analysis was performed to assess their influence in failure-free survival (FFS) and OS. A multivariat e logistic regression analysis was performed for studying the effect of the variables in the achievement of a CR. Of the clinical variables, only advanced stage (III/IV) had a significant i ndependent adverse influence in FFS, in OS and in the achievement of CR and advanced age in OS. Of the molecular variables, LMP1-EBV had an independen t and strong favorable influence in FFS, in OS and in the achievement of CR . Rb expression had a modest favorable influence in CR. The rest of the mol ecular variables had no independent influence on the outcome of the disease . In conclusion these results confirm the favorable prognostic value of LMP I-EBV expression in the subset of patients with HD treated with chemotherap y.