Hodgkin disease after renal transplantation in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
Hodgkin disease (HD) has rarely been described in organ transplant recipients. We herewith report two cases of Epstein Barr virus (EBV)-associated HD that occurred in renal transplant recipients during childhood.


METHODS
A 19-year-old who had a renal transplant at 12 years of age developed mixed cellularity HD 1 year following diagnosis of an EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder. The second case is an 18-year-old man who developed nodular sclerosing HD 7 years after renal transplantation.


RESULTS
EBV latent membrane protein-1 antigen was strongly expressed in the Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cells in both cases. These patients achieved complete remission with standard chemotherapy without unusual toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Renal transplant recipients on immunosuppressive therapy can develop Hodgkin disease. A review of literature on this subject with emphasis on recent molecular studies on EBV-associated cases and observed increase in incidence of HD in HIV seropositive individuals is presented.
Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Missouri 63110, USA.
R K
RK
Goyal
L
L
McEvoy
D B
DB
Wilson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology