Absence of a directly causative role for human herpesvirus 7 in human lymphoma and a review of human herpesvirus 6 in human malignancy.
In search of a (new) viral etiological agent, we screened 64 lymph node samples from Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 43 samples (32 lymph node and 11 skin biopsies) from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) for human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7). Twenty-nine control samples were tested as well, including 17 with benign lymphadenopathy. None of the samples tested positive by Southern blot hybridization using HHV-7-specific probes. We conclude that there is no major HHV-7 load in human lymphoma and that HHV-7 is not likely to be directly involved in its etiology. This is in contrast to a small minority of human lymphoproliferative diseases in which HHV-6 can be found at high copy number, but in which an etiological role is still uncertain.
Berneman
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ZN
Division of Hematology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium. zwi.berneman@uza.uia.ac.be
Torelli
G
G
Luppi
M
M
Jarrett
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RF
D006566:Herpesviridae Infections; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000821:virology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000821:virology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000821:virology*