[The correlation between Burkitt's lymphoma and Epstein-Barr virus in 28 cases and their expression of p53 and bcl-2 proteins].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlation between Burkitt's lymphoma and Epstein-Barr (EB) virus and its expression of p53 and bcl-2 proteins.


METHODS
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ PCR and immunohistochemical techniques were applied to specimens from 28 cases of Burkitt's lymphomas on paraffin-embedded sections.


RESULTS
EB virus was found in 8 (28.5%) cases by PCR, of which 3 were positive by in situ PCR. Positive rates for the expression of p53 and bcl-2 were 44.4% and 48.1% respectively. Whereas in stages I-II and III-IV, they were 3(23.0%), 9(64.2%) and 3(23.0%), 10(71.4%) respectively. Both the expression of p53 and bcl-2 were high in stages III-IV, low in stages I-II (P < 0.05). The positive cases of EB virus in combination with the expression of p53 and bcl-2 protein, p53 protein and bcl-2 protein were 4,5,4 respectively and 9 cases were positive for p53 and bcl-2 protein. In other words, the positive cases for EB virus in combination with the expression of p53 and bcl-2 were 50%, whereas 70% were positive for both p53 and bcl-2.


CONCLUSIONS
The positive rates of EB virus in our series are different from some reports of African-Burkitt's and similar to many other reports of endemic Burkitt's lymphoma. The expression of p53 and bcl-2 proteins are significantly correlated with stage; high in stages III-IV and low in stages I-II. EB virus, p53 and bcl-2 proteins may affect each other.
Department of Pathology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Beijing 100045.
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Li
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Cui
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Wang
D000293:Adolescent; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53