title: Epstein-Barr virus present in T cells or B cells shows differential effects on hemophagocytic symptoms associated with outcome in T-cell lymphomas.
abstract: Non-specific peripheral (PTCL-NOS) and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) frequently show Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) expression in lymphoma or bystander B cells. However, whether EBV localization affects clinicopathologic features is unclear. We correlated EBV localization with clinicopathologic findings in PTCL-NOS (n = 63) and AITL (n = 26). PTCL-NOS showed EBV+ in 41%, with 22% in lymphoma T cells (T-EBV) and 19% in bystander B cells (B-EBV), and more EBV+ cells in T-EBV cases (39.3% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.003). Compared to B-EBV cases, T-EBV PTCL-NOS had higher rates of type II EBV latency (p = 0.003), leukopenia (p = 0.020) and hemophagocytosis (p = 0.061), which predicted a poor outcome (p < 0.001). In contrast, 88% of AITLs were EBV+, exclusively in B cells. EBV+ cases showed lower rates of hemophagocytosis (p = 0.006), but this was insignificant for prognosis. Therefore, hemophagocytic symptoms in PTCL-NOS are much more tightly associated with T-EBV and carry poor prognoses. In contrast, hemophagocytosis in AITL is correlated with EBV-, but is not significant for outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University and Hospital , Tainan , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Tsai-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kung-Chao
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D057899:Cytophagocytosis / Q000276:immunology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007119:Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011379:Prognosis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D017735:Virus Latency
keywords: Epstein–Barr virus; angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma; clinical features; localization; peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified