Correlation of immunophenotype of sinonasal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to Epstein-Barr virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
There are differences in the prevalence rate and composition of immunophenotypes of sinonasal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) depending on the geography. This study was to investigate the immunophenotypes of sinonasal NHLs and their relationship to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in Guangzhou, China.


METHODS
Fifty-seven NHL samples of the sinonasal region were collected from the Department of Pathology, Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Apr. 1, 2000 to Oct. 31, 2006. HE staining and immunohistochemical staining were performed. Both Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) hybridization and PCR were applied to identify EBV infection.


RESULTS
Seventy-one sinonasal NHLs were found in all 1 412 NHLs (71/1 412, 5.03%). Only 57 out of the 71 NHL biopsy tissues were suitable for this study. The median age of the patients was 50 years (ranged from 3 to 75 years). There were 38 males and 19 females. Forty-four sinonasal NHLs (44/57, 77.19%) were NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, all of which were infected with EBV. Among them, 37 patients (84.09%) appeared to be NK-cell neoplasm (EBV+/CD56+), and 7 cases (15.91%) showed an EBV+/CD56-cytotoxic T-cell phenotype. Eleven cases (11/57, 19.30%) were B-cell lymphoma. There were 6 cases of diffuse large B-cell immunophenotype, 2 cases of Burkitt (Burkitt-like) lymphoma (EBV+), 1 case of extramedullary plasmacytoma (EBV+), 1 case of MALT-lymphoma (EBV-), and 1 case of small lymphocytic lymphoma (EBV-). Only 2 cases (2/57, 3.51%; EBV-) were peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified. The del-LMP1 EBV strain harbored in 25 out of 37 available DNA samples of NK/T-cell lymphoma (25/37, 67.57%); and the wt-LMP1 EBV strain was found in 12 samples (12/37, 32.43%).


CONCLUSIONS
The most common sinonasal NHL is the NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, which can be further subclassified into NK-cell neoplasm (EBV+/CD56+) and EBV+/CD56-cytotoxic T-cell phenotype. The major EBV strain in NK/T-cell lymphomas is del-LMP1 strain.
Feng
Yan-Fen
YF
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, PR China.
Wu
Qiu-Liang
QL
Zong
Yong-Sheng
YS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D054391:Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D019002:CD56 Antigen; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins