Inconsistent association of Epstein-Barr virus with CD56 (NCAM)-positive angiocentric lymphoma occuring in sites other than the upper and lower respiratory tract.
We previously described nine cases of angiocentric lymphoma of a possible natural killer (NK)-cell lineage with a surface CD3-CD56+ phenotype occurring in sites other than the upper and lower respiratory tract. This study was performed to investigate the association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with these lymphomas, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of EBV-DNA, in situ hybridization (ISH) for EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) and immunohistology for EBV-determined nuclear antigen-2 (EBNA-2) and latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) in paraffin sections. PCR and ISH produced almost identical results, and EBERs were identified in the nuclei of the lymphoma cells of three cases, two of which exhibited LMP-1 in the cytoplasm of tumour cells without EBNA-2 expression. Molecular genetic analysis revealed EBV to be incorporated into these three EBER-positive cases either clonally or biclonally. It was revealed by re-evaluation of their morphology with the established EBV status on each case that, in contrast to the rather variable and irregular cellular composition of the EBV-positive tumours, the EBV-negative tumours stood out because of their remarkably uniform 'blastoid' appearance, and could be grouped as blastic NK-cell lymphoma. The relationship of the EBV-positive cases with nasal NK-cell tumours has yet to be clarified.
Kobashi
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Tenri Hospital, Nara, Japan.
Nakamura
S
S
Sasajima
Y
Y
Koshikawa
T
T
Yatabe
Y
Y
Kitoh
K
K
Mori
S
S
Ueda
R
R
Yamabe
H
H
Suchi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008230:Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012142:Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000473:pathology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019002:CD56 Antigen