title: Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma in the Experience of a Tertiary Medical Center in Poland.
abstract: The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the biology and clinical characteristics of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is still poorly defined. A new provisional entity EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly has been described in Asian population. Its incidence and prognosis remains unknown in middle European patients. Clinical data and tissue samples were collected from 74 Caucasian patients with DLBCL, aged between 23 and 86 years, treated at a single institution. Lymphoma morphology was reassessed, laboratory procedures included in situ hybridization specific for EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBER), immunohistochemical staining for latent membrane protein and serological testing for EBV-specific antibodies. EBER staining revealed 12.2 % of EBV-positive cases, whereas 9.5 % were diagnosed as EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly. Serologic EBV markers did not correlate with the presence of EBV in tissue samples (P > 0.10). Elderly EBV-positive cases had lower BCL-6 (P = 0.038) and higher CD30 (P = 0.049) expression and were characterized by higher progression risk (median time-to-progression 12.5 months vs not reached; P = 0.029) and a trend towards worse overall survival (median overall survival 24.5 months vs not reached; P = 0.059). EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly occurs relatively frequently in Polish population and may be associated with inferior prognosis in comparison with DLBCL, not otherwise specified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. mateusz.ziarkiewicz@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziarkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Center for Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Dominika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wołosz
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Central Clinical Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.|Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dzieciątkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Center for Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wilczek
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dwilewicz-Trojaczek
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Wiesław Wiktor
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Jędrzejczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Center for Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gierej
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Center for Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ziarkiewicz-Wróblewska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: DLBCL; Diffuse large B cell lymphoma; EBER; EBV; EBV serology; EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly; Epstein–Barr virus