The Impact of EBV, Proliferation Rate, and Bcl-2 Expression in Hodgkin's Disease in Childhood

The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease (HD) has not yet been clarified. Using RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), the occurrence of small Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA (EBER) and latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) was studied in 22 tissue samples from 21 patients between 4 and 17 years of age with Hodgkin's disease. EBER was detected in eight of 21 patients (38%) in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells and reactive lymphocytes irrespective of initial clinical stage and histological subtype, whereas LMP-1, positive in ten of 21 patients (48%), was restricted to neoplastic cells. All cases positive for EBER expressed LMP-1 as well. Additionally, oncoprotein Bcl-2 was identified in nine of 21 patients (43%), indicating, besides immortalization of HD cells by EBV, a further growth advantage due to apoptosis prevention by overexpression of this protein. Proliferation-associated antigens Ki-S1 and Ki-S5 were highly expressed in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells. CD 30 antigen was found in most cases, using two different antibodies (90% and 80%). The presence of this protein, which belongs to the family of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR), is related to high expression of Ki-67 protein, detected by Ki-S5. CD 20 antigen was detectable in only three of 21 patients (14%). If we compare results of ISH and IHC with clinical data, the occurrence of EBV genome in children with HD seems to have no adverse effect on the final outcome of these patients.