Epstein-Barr virus in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: evaluation of the viral presence and significance in skin and peripheral blood.
The importance of viral agents in the development of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) is still debated. For this purpose, we retrospectively evaluated the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) presence in Sézary syndrome (SS), mycosis fungoides (MF), inflammatory dermatoses (ID), and healthy donors (HD) using different approaches: EBV-DNA was quantified in skin biopsies and peripheral blood using real-time PCR, EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) transcripts were detected by in situ hybridization (ISH), and latent membrane protein1-2 antigens were detected by immunohistochemistry. Skin biopsies were EBV-DNA-positive in 8/30 (27%) SS, 7/71 (10%) MF, and 2/18 (11%) ID patients and in none of the 25 normal skin samples. Positive mRNA (EBER) signals, always confined to cerebriform T lymphocytes, were found in 5/30 SS patients (17%), whereas signals in all MF and ID patients were negative. The presence of EBV-DNA in skin and blood samples was associated with a significantly lower survival in MF/SS patients. In evaluating EBV serological status, most (>70%) SS, MF, and ID patients showed a serological reactivation demonstrated by the presence of anti-EA IgG. In conclusion, although the finding of EBV-DNA in CTCL does not prove its etiopathogenetic role and may be related instead to immunosuppression, our study demonstrates that it has prognostic relevance.
Novelli
Mauro
M
First Dermatologic Clinic, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Turin University, Turin, Italy.
Merlino
Chiara
C
Ponti
Renata
R
Bergallo
Massimiliano
M
Quaglino
Pietro
P
Cambieri
Irene
I
Comessatti
Alessandra
A
Sidoti
Francesca
F
Costa
Cristina
C
Corino
Daniele
D
Cavallo
Rossana
R
Ponzi
Alessandro Negro
AN
Fierro
Maria T
MT
Bernengo
Maria G
MG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents