Epstein-Barr virus as a possible etiologic agent in primary central nervous system lymphoma in immunocompetent individuals.
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2009-01-24
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BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) occurs in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals. The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in immunosuppressed individuals but its role is not established in immunocompetent individuals. AIMS: To study the possible role of EBV in PCNSL in immunocompetent individuals. SETTING AND DESIGN: Retrospective study. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with PCNSL were studied immunohistochemically with antibodies to CD45, CD20, CD3 and EBV latent membrane protein-1 (EBV LMP-1). In situ hybridization was done in 19 patients where enough tissue was available using a specific oligonucleotide probe for EBV-Early RNA (EBER).
RESULTS: All the patients were immunocompetent and mean age was 41.6 years. Histologically they were diffuse large cell lymphoma: 25 (83.3%) were B cell, 1(3.3%) was T cell and 4 (13.3%) were unclassified. EBV LMP-1 showed variable membrane and cytoplasmic positivity in 24 (80%) patients. In situ hybridization for EBER was negative in all the 19 patients studied.
CONCLUSION: In this region of the world probably EBV has no etiologic role in PCNSL in immunocompetent individuals.
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Tandon A, Challa S, Shanmugam M, Gopalan S, Paul RT, Digumarthi R. Epstein-Barr virus as a possible etiologic agent in primary central nervous system lymphoma in immunocompetent individuals. Neurology India. 2009 Jan-Feb; 57(1): 36-40