title: Expression of Epstein-Barr virus and granzyme B in cytologic smears of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis.
abstract: Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) is a non-neoplastic disease of the lymph nodes that is self-limiting in its clinical course. In this study, the expression of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), granzyme B, and other phenotypic markers of HNL was investigated in fine needle-aspirated (FNA) cytologic smears obtained from 38 patients with HNL. The smear were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for granzyme B, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD68 in addition to in-situ hybridization for EBV to determine whether marker expression could be correlated with disease pathogenesis. The mean age of 28 female and 10 male patients was 22.8 years. CD8-positive cytotoxic T cells were noted in 65.0% of the smears (13/20 cases), whereas CD4 and CD68 were rarely observed. Granzyme B reactivity was seen in lymphocytes, especially in apoptotic areas, and in histiocytes, with positive rates of 25.0% (9/36) and 11.1% (4/36), respectively. Most FNA smears showed immunoreactivity to both CD3 and CD20, with a predominance of CD3-positive cells. In-situ hybridization for EBV was positive in 22.9% (8/35) of the cases. The immunohistochemical staining and EBV in-situ hybridization results obtained in bleached FNA smears were similar to those in histologic sections. Overall, our results implicate that even though EBV positivity and granzyme B immunoreactivity are noted in HNL, they do not appear to have any apoptosis-associated role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. jykimpath@paik.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jung Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eunah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyun-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyeongmee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000032:analysis; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D053804:Granzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000473:pathology; D020042:Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018951:Antigens, CD20; D015415:Biomarkers; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral; C509213:GZMB protein, human; D053804:Granzymes