Expression of bcl-2 protein and Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein in Hodgkin's disease.
The presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) correlates with some cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD), and its latent membrane protein (LMP) has oncogenic potential by inducing expression of bcl-2 protein. Bcl-2 confers a longer half-life to the cell, which overexpresses it. As the translocation t(14,18), which is most often found in follicular lymphomas, and leads to overexpression of bcl-2, has also been reported in HD, it is possible that there is a correlation between these events in this entity. We stained immunohistochemically 40 cases of HD for the presence of bcl-2 and EBV-LMP. Bcl-2 positivity within reactive lymphocytes was revealed in 29 cases. In five of these cases a week, positive reaction in cytoplasm of Reed-Sternberg cells was observed (one mixed cellularity and four nodular sclerosis cases). The EBV-LMP immunopositivity was observed in 16 of these 29 cases (ten MC and six NS cases). The simultaneous presence of bcl-2 protein and EBV-LMP was found in two cases, the remaining three bcl-2-positive cases did not have EBV-LMP. These results do not support the hypothesis of the correlation between the expression of bcl-2 protein and the presence of EBV-LMP in the pathogenesis of HD as the LMP-dependent stimulation of bcl-2 oncogene.
Kordek
R
R
Department of Tumor Pathology, Medical University, Lódź.
Biernat
W
W
Kupnicka
D
D
Woźniak
L
L
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins