title: New characterization of infectious mononucleosis and a phenotypic comparison with Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: Recent nucleic acid hybridization studies have implied that Reed-Sternberg/Hodgkin (RS/H) cells are infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) before malignant transformation, and hence, that Hodgkin's disease could develop as a consequence of malignant transformation of an EBV-infected cell. This study is a detailed immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization characterization of the various lymphoid cells in nine cases of infectious mononucleosis (IM), the acute manifestation of EBV infection. The RS/H-like cells of IM were similar in most respects to their morphologically identical counterparts in Hodgkin's disease; they expressed the EBV-encoded protein LMP1, EBV EBER1 transcripts, and CD30 and rarely, if ever, expressed CD45/LCA or T cell markers. Dissimilarities were limited to CD15 negativity and the absence of a collarette of T cells around the RS/H-like cells of IM compared with their Hodgkin's counterparts. Expression of the immortalizing bcl-2 oncoprotein was variable in the RS/H-like cells of IM, as has been demonstrated in the RS/H cells of Hodgkin's disease by other investigators. An apoptosis assay suggested that many apoptotic cells in IM were EBV-infected T cells, in keeping with the previous in vitro observation that IM-derived T cells succumb to apoptosis. Additionally, the apoptosis assay suggested that RS/H-like cells of IM can succumb to programmed cell death, reminiscent of the mummified RS/H cells seen in Hodgkin's disease. The accumulation of evidence suggests that RS/H-like cells of IM are more similar to true RS/H cells than previously recognized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284-7750.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gulley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007223:Infant; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000956:Antigens, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins