Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in Malaysian upper-aerodigestive-tract lymphoma: incidence and sub-type

Int J Cancer. 1995 May 4;61(3):327-32. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910610309.

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) type B, a less potent transformer of B lymphocytes than type A, has rarely been detected in EBV-associated neoplasms except in AIDS-related lymphomas, in which about 50% of the cases contained this sub-type. In this study we analyzed the association of EBV and the distribution of virus sub-types in Asian non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the upper aerodigestive tract. We studied archival material of 29 NHL cases from Malaysia. B- and T-cell associated antigens were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, and EBV early RNA EBER-1 was demonstrated using the RNA in situ hybridization technique. EBV was detected in the majority of tumour cells in 11/13 T-NHL but in only 1/16 B-NHL. EBV was sub-typed by single-step polymerase chain reaction of the EBNA-2 gene. This was successful in 9/10 cases of EBER-1-positive tumours and all contained type-A virus only. Our results showed a preponderance of T-cell lymphoma of the upper aerodigestive tract in the ethnic Chinese group of Malaysian patients, and EBV was strongly associated with T-NHL but not with B-NHL. Our results suggest that type-A EBV is the prevalent sub-type in Asian NHL of the upper aerodigestive tract, similarly to findings in Asian nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antigens, CD / analysis
  • Antigens, Viral / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens
  • Female
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Incidence
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / epidemiology
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / immunology
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / pathology
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / virology*
  • Malaysia / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / immunology
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / virology*
  • Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / immunology
  • Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / virology*
  • Palatal Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Palatal Neoplasms / immunology
  • Palatal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Palatal Neoplasms / virology*
  • Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / immunology
  • Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / pathology
  • Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / virology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Trans-Activators / genetics

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, Viral
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens
  • Trans-Activators