title: Epstein-Barr virus infection and bcl-2 proto-oncogene expression. Separate events in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease?
abstract: The present study was undertaken to investigate whether Epstein-Barr virus-(EBV) encoded latent membrane protein (LMP) induces the expression of BCL-2 in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and thereby provide a possible mechanism for the role of EBV in the pathogenesis of this disease. Fifty-three cases of HD were studied for the presence of EBV using EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization and LMP immunohistochemistry. Immunostaining for BCL-2 on paraffin material was performed using microwave treatment of tissue sections before the application of the primary monoclonal antibody. EBV was located in HRS cells in 16 cases (30%). All cases that were EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization positive, also expressed LMP. BCL-2 expression in HRS cells was detected in 16 cases (30%), but only two of these were also EBV-positive. In both of these cases, only occasional HRS cells expressed BCL-2, in contrast to LMP, which was detected in nearly all such cells. BCL-2 staining was predominantly cytoplasmic with some membrane pattern. These results demonstrate that BCL-2 expression can be detected in HRS cells in routinely processed HD tissue and that whereas EBV does not induce the expression of BCL-2 in HD, BCL-2 may have a role in the pathogenesis of EBV-negative cases of HD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slavin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins