title: Evaluation of the Association Between Epstein-Barr Virus and Mycosis Fungoides.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Despite extensive studies, etiopathogenesis of MF is unknown. Environmental, infectious and genetic factors have been proposed as potential risk factors of MF. Herpes virus family members, especially Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), have been among the viral factors of interest in recent years. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association of EBV infection with MF.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was performed on skin biopsy samples of 57 MF patients referred to Pathology Department of Mashhad Emam Reza Hospital from 2000 to 2011 and also on 57 melanocytic nevus samples matched with patients for age and sex. The presence of EBV in samples was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11.5 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, out of 57 MF samples, there were 34 male and 23 female patients, with male:female ratio of 1.04. Mean patient age was 51.4 years. There were 22 and 4 positive cases of EBV in the case and control groups, respectively. Chi-square statistical test showed that EBV was significantly higher in case group than control (P = 0.000). There was no correlation between the presence of EBV in samples with lesion type, age and gender of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our study results, EBV is a likely etiologic agent or potential promoter in the pathogenesis of MF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Cutaneous Leishmanaisis Research Center, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Yalda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nahidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Cutaneous Leishmanaisis Research Center, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser Tayyebi
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Meibodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Research Center for Microbiology and Virilogy, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Kiarash
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghazvini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and epidemiology, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Habiballah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esmaily
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hesamifard
keywords: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; Epstein-Barr virus; mycosis fungoides; polymerase chain reaction