Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Epstein-Barr virus and hodgkin’s disease

  • Reviews
  • Published:
International Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Research

Summary

Seroepidemiological and molecular biological studies have established an association of Hodgkin’s disease with Epstein-Barr virus. Recently, Epstein-Barr virus genomes and gene products have been detected in the neoplastic cells of approximately 50% of cases, most notably the latent membrane protein, which has transforming potential. However, Epstein-Barr virus was not restricted to neoplastic cells. In situ hybridization, employing probes for the small Epstein-Barr virus-encoded nuclear RNAs EBER 1 and −2, helped to precisely characterize phenotype and distribution of all latently Epstein-Barr virus-infected cells, indicating the presence of usually small numbers of Epstein-Barr virus-infected, but latent membrane protein-negative, non-malignant B-cells of polyclonal origin in lymph nodes from Hodgkin’s disease patients and normal controls. In contrast, the neoplastic cells and the Epstein-Barr virus genomes expressing latent membrane protein in these cells appear to be monoclonal in nature, which points to specific immunological deficiencies in Hodgkin’s disease patients and suggests that Epstein-Barr virus may contribute to the etiology of a significant proportion of Hodgkin’s disease cases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anagnostopoulos I, Herbst H, Niedobitek G, Stein H, Demonstration of monoclonal EBV genomes in Hodgkin’s disease and Ki-1-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma by combined Southern and in situ hybridization. Blood 74:810, 1989

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Brousset P, Chittal S, Schlaifer D, Icart J, Payen C, Rigal-Huguet F, Voigt JJ, Delsol G, Detection of Epstein-Barr virus messenger RNA in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin’s disease by in situ hybridization with biotinylated probes on specially processed modified acetone methyl benzoate xylene (ModAMeX) section. Blood 77: 1781, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Delsol G, Brousset P, Chittal S, Rigal-Huguet F, Correlation of the expression of Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein and in situ hybridization with biotinylatedBamHI-W probes in Hodgkin’s disease. Am J Pathol 140: 247, 1992

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Diehl V, Kalle C von, Fonatsch C, Tesch H, Jücker M, Schaadt M, The cell of origin in Hodgkin’s disease. Semin Oncol 17: 660, 1990

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gledhill S, Gallagher A, Jones DB, Krajewski AS, Alexander FE, Klee E, Wright DH, O’Brien C, Onions DE, Jarrett RF, Viral involvement in Hodgkin’s disease: detection of clonal type A Epstein-Barr virus genomes in tumour samples. Br J Cancer 64: 227, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gutensohn NM, Cole P, Epidemiology of Hodgkin’s disease. Semin Oncol 7: 92, 1980

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Henderson S, Rowe M, Croom-Carter D, Wang F, Longnecker L, Kieff E, Rickinson A, Induction of bcl-2 expression by Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 protects infected B cells from programmed cell death. Cell 65: 1107, 1991

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Herbst H, Tippelmann G, Anagnostopoulos I, Gerdes J, Schwarting R, Boehm T, Pileri S, Jones DB, Stein H, Immunoglobulin and T cell receptor gene rearrangements in Hodgkin’s disease and Ki-1-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma: dissociation between genotype and phenotype. Leuk Res 13: 103, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Herbst H, Niedobitek G, Kneba M, Hummel M, Finn T, Anagnostopoulos I, Bergholz M, Krieger G, Stein H, High incidence of Epstein-Barr virus genomes in Hodgkin’s disease. Am J Pathol 137: 13, 1990

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Herbst H, Dallenbach F, Hummel M, Niedobitek G, Pileri S, Müller-Lantzsch N, Stein H, Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein expression in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 4766, 1991

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Herbst H, Dallenbach F, Hummel M, Niedobitek G, Rowe M, Young LS, Müller-Lantzsch N, Stein H, Epstein-Barr virus DNA and latent gene products in CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphomas. Blood 78: 2666, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Herbst H, Steinbrecher E, Niedobitek G, Young LS, Brooks L, Müller-Lantzsch N, Stein H, Distribution and phenotype of Epstein-Barr virus-harboring cells in Hodgkin’s disease. Blood 80: 484, 1992

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Herbst H, Niedobitek G, Stein H, Epstein-Barr virus and CD30-positive malignant lymphomas. CRC Crit Rev Oncogenesis (in press)

  14. Knecht H, Odermatt BF, Bachmann E, Teixeira S, Sahli R, Hayoz D, Heitz P, Bachmann F, Frequent detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA by the polymerase chain reaction in lymph node biopsies from patients with Hodgkin’s disease without genomic evidence of B- or T-cell clonality. Blood 78: 760, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lukes RJ, Butler JJ, The pathology and nomenclature of Hodgkin’s disease. Cancer Res 26: 1063, 1966

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Masih A, Weisenburger D, Duggan M, Armitage J, Bashir R, Mitchell D, Wickert R, Purtillo DT, Epstein-Barr viral genome in lymph nodes from patients with Hodgkin’s disease may be not specific to Reed-Sternberg cells. Am J Pathol 139: 37, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mueller N, Evans A, Harris NL, Comstock GW, Jellum E, Magnus K, Orentreich N, Polk F, Vogelman J, Hodgkin’s disease and Epstein-Barr virus. Altered antibody pattern before diagnosis. N Engl J Med 320: 689, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Niedobitek G, Herbst H, Epstein-Barr virus and carcinomas. Int J Clin Lab Res (in press)

  19. Niedobitek G, Herbst H, Young LS, Brooks L, Masucci MG, Crocker J, Rickinson AB, Stein H, Patterns of Epstein-Barr virus infection in non-neoplastic lymphoid tissue. Blood 79: 2520, 1992

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Nonoyama M, Kawai Y, Huang CH, Pagano JS, Hirshaut Y, Levine PH, Epstein-Barr virus DNA in Hodgkin’s disease, American Burkitt’s lymphoma, and other human tumors. Cancer Res 34: 1228, 1974

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Pallesen G, Hamilton-Dutoit SJ, Rowe M, Young LS, Expression of Epstein-Barr virus latent gene products in tumor cells of Hodgkin’s disease. Lancet 337: 320, 1991

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Pallesen G, Sandvej K, Hamilton-Dutoit SJ Rowe M, Young LS, Activation of Epstein-Barr virus replication in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells. Blood 78: 1162 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Poppema S, Imhoff G van, Torensma R, Smit J, Lymphadenopathy morphologically consistent with Hodgkin’s disease associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. Am J Clin Pathol 84: 385, 1985

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Said JW, Sassoon AF, Shintaku IP, Kurtin PJ, Pinkus GS, Absence of bcl-2 major breakpoint region and JH gene rearrangement in lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin’s disease Results of Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction. Am J Pathol 138: 261, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Staal, SP, Ambinder R, Beschorner WE, Hayward G, Mann R, A survey of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in lymphoid tissue. Frequent detection in Hodgkin’s disease. Am J Clin Pathol 91: 1, 1989

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Stein H, Mason DY, Gerdes J, O’Connor N, Wainscoat J, Pallesen G, Gatter K, Falini B, Delsol G, Lemke H, Schwarting R, Lennert K, The expression of Hodgkin’s disease-associated antigen Ki-1 in reactive and neoplastic lymphoid tissue. Evidence that Reed-Sternberg cells and histiocytic malignancies are derived from activated lymphoid cells. Blood 66: 849, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  27. Stetler-Stevenson M, Crush-Stanton S, Cossman J, Involvement of thebcl-2 gene in Hodgkin’s disease. J Natl Cancer Inst 82: 855, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Uccini S, Monardo F, Stoppaccioro A, Gradilone A, Agliano AM, Maggioni A, Manzari V, Vago L, Costanzi G, Ruco LP, Baroni C, High frequency of Epstein-Barr virus genome detection in Hodgkin’s disease of HIV-positive patients. Int J Cancer 46: 581, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Vestlev PM, Pallesen G, Sandvej K, Hamilton-Dutoit SJ, Bendtzen SM, Prognosis of Hodgkin’s disease is not influenced by Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane antigen. Int J Cancer 50: 670, 1992

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Weiss LM, Strickler JG, Warnke RA, Purtilo DT, Sklar J, Epstein-Barr viral DNA in tissues of Hodgkin’s disease. Am J Pathol 129: 86, 1987

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Weiss LM, Movahed AM, Warnke RA, Sklar J, Detection of Epstein-Barr viral genomes in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin’s disease. N Engl J Med 320: 502, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Weiss LM, Chen YY, Liu XF, Shibata D, Epstein-Barr virus and Hodgkin’s disease. A correlative in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction study. Am J Pathol 139: 1259, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Wright CF, Reid AH, Tsai MM, Ventre KM, Murari PJ, Frizzera G, O’Leary TJ, Detection of Epstein-Barr virus sequences in Hodgkin’s disease by the polymerase chain reaction. Am J Pathol 139: 393, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Wu TC, Mann RB, Charache P, Hayward SD, Staal S, Lambe BC, Ambinder RF, Detection of EBV gene expression in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin’s disease. Int J Cancer 46: 801 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Zur Hausen H, Biochemical approaches to detection of Epstein-Barr virus in human tumors. Cancer Res 36: 678, 1976

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Steglitz, Free University Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, W-1000, Berlin 45, Germany

    Hermann Herbst

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK

    Gerald Niedobitek

Authors
  1. Hermann Herbst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gerald Niedobitek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Herbst, H., Niedobitek, G. Epstein-Barr virus and hodgkin’s disease. Int J Clin Lab Res 23, 13–16 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02592274

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02592274

Key words

Search

Navigation