Large proportion of Epstein-Barr virus-associated small noncleaved cell lymphomas among children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at a single institution in Moscow, Russia.
To evaluate clinical and biologic features of children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated in Moscow, Russia, we studied 53 cases treated in the Republican Children's Hospital from 1990 to 1994. Histologic examination disclosed a predominance of the small noncleaved cell subtype (32 cases, 60%); a smaller percentage of the lymphoblastic and large-cell subtypes (14 cases, 26% and 7 cases, 13%, respectively) were identified. The frequencies of primary sites of involvement in descending order included 60% in abdomen, 19% in mediastinum, 15% in head/neck, and 4% in peripheral nodes. The majority of children presented with advanced stage disease (St. Jude stage III/IV/B-ALL, 92.5%). Of interest, 8 of 15 (53%) small noncleaved cell NHL cases examined contained Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The high frequency of EBV association in this study suggests that this virus may play a more global role in NHL pathogenesis than previously recognized.
Sandlund
J T
JT
Department of Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis 38101, USA.
Gorban
Z I
ZI
Berard
C W
CW
Sixbey
J
J
Razzouk
B
B
Talalayev
A G
AG
Toopytsyn
N N
NN
Rumjantsev
A G
AG
Lebedev
V V
VV
Karachunsky
A I
AI
Belikova
L H
LH
Kryzhanovsky
O I
OI
Chen
G
G
Crist
W M
WM
Pui
C H
CH
Samochatova
E V
EV
D000293:Adolescent; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology