Detection of Epstein-Barr virus in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin's disease arising in children.
Nonisotopic in situ hybridization has been used to investigate the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the aetiology of pediatric Hodgkin's disease. Sections from 24 cases arising in children under the age of 15 years were hybridised with digoxigenin-labelled probes for both EBV and cytomegalovirus, and reactive sites were identified by a sensitive three-layer immunoperoxidase technique. EBV was identified in Reed-Sternberg and mononuclear Hodgkin's cells in five samples (21%). No samples were positive when the cytomegalovirus probe was employed. The specific identification of EBV in the malignant cells of Hodgkin's disease arising in children lends further support for a role of EBV in the aetiology of this disorder.
Department of Histopathology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London, England.
P J
PJ
Coates
A J
AJ
d'Ardenne
G
G
Slavin
J E
JE
Kingston
J S
JS
Malpas
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000382:microbiology*