Viruses and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is unusual among human malignancies in that the epidemiology suggests an infectious aetiology. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a proportion of cases and this association is believed to be causal. In these cases the Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells express the EBV-encoded proteins LMP1 and LMP2, which can mimic CD40 and the B cell receptor, respectively, and therefore may play a critical role in facilitating the survival of HRS cells. EBV-associated and non-EBV-associated HL cases have different epidemiological features and recent data suggest that delayed exposure to EBV is a risk factor for the development of EBV-associated HL in young adults. We suggest that HL can be divided into four entities on the basis of EBV status and age at presentation, with three groups of EBV-associated cases and a single group of EBV-negative cases. The aetiology of the latter cases is obscure although involvement of an infectious agent(s) is suspected.
Jarrett
R F
RF
LRF Virus Centre, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK. r.f.jarrett@vet.gla.ac.uk
D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins