Epstein-Barr virus infection in nasopharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To detect whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) harbors in nasopharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (NPLH) which is frequently to be seen in Guangzhou, a high-incidence area of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and to explore the relation between NPLH and development of NPC.


METHODS
Twenty-four 10% formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies oef patients with NPLH and elevated serum IgA antibody titer (> or = 1:20) against viral capsid antigen of EB virus (IgA/VCA) were collected from the archives of the Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences during the period of January to June, 1993. PCR plus Southern blotting hybridization for detection of EBV DNA W-fragment and in situ hybridization for detection of EB virus encoded small RNAs (EBERs) were performed. All the patients were followed up more than 5 years.


RESULTS
Twenty-two of 24 (91.7%) NPLH tissues contained EBV DNA. A few definitely EBERs positive B-lymphocytes could be found in 17 out of 24 specimens (70.8%). Neither NPC nor any EBV-associated malignancies were developed in all of these 24 patients up to date.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the NPLH tissues taken from the patients with an elevated serum IgA/VCA titer carry EBV, which is harbouring in the nuclei of a few infiltrating and hyperplastic B-lymphocytes. The NPLH without epithelial dysplasia can not be recognized as a precancerous lesion, and EBV infection in these lesions is not an important event, having no substantial significance in development of NPC.
Zong
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510089, China. yszong@163.net
Zhang
J
J
Li
Z
Z
Chen
G
G
Rong
Z
Z
Wu
W
W
D002213:Capsid / Q000032:analysis; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D009302:Nasopharyngeal Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D019310:Pseudolymphoma / Q000821:virology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis
C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins