title: Association between the Epstein-Barr virus and Hodgkin's lymphoma in the North-Eastern part of Hungary: effects on therapy and survival.
abstract: This retrospective study included 109 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL; 45 females, 64 males). In 47 of the 109 HL patients (43%), immunohistochemical analysis of their formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded histologic samples revealed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by latent membrane protein (LMP) 1. The highest virus association (50%) was found with the mixed cellularity histologic subtype, especially in patients aged 11-20 and >50 years. Virus positivity in nodular sclerosis was 35% (negative cases accumulated in patients aged 15-30 years). Regarding clinical stages, histologic subtypes, general symptoms, treatments employed and response to treatment, the EBV-positive group was not significantly different from the virus-negative group. During the mean follow-up time of 83 months (9-300 months), the overall or event-free survival of EBV-negative patients was more favorable than that of EBV-positive patients, although the difference was not significant (p = 0.16 and p = 0.24, respectively). EBV infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of HL in our Hungarian study cohort, but it does not significantly affect clinical symptoms, therapeutic results or complete and event-free survival of HL patients.
authors.affiliation: Immunohematologic Unit, Third Department of Internal Medicine, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary. katalin@iibel.dote.hu
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keresztes
authors.forename: Zsofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Miltenyi
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bessenyei
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szollosi
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nemes
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olah
authors.forename: Arpad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Illes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis