The Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus and Expression of bcl-2 and p53 Proteins in the Extranodal Malignant Lymphoma of the Head and Neck

Bai, Chang Hoon; Song, Si Youn; Kim, Yong Dae

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Although the cause of the malignant lymphoma has not been understood entirely, viruses and oncogenes have been implicated as probable causative factors. Particularly, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the over-expression of bcl-2 and the mutant p53 seem to be closely related to lymphomatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between EBV, bcl-2 and p53 proteins in the development of human extranodal malignant lymphoma in the head and neck.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Specimens were obtained from 40 patients diagnosed as the extranodal malignant lymphoma in the head and neck region. Paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were analyzed by in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA(EBER) and by immunohistochemical technique for bcl-2 and p53 proteins.
RESULTS
In EBER and bcl-2 protein-positive group, there were no significant differences in the pathologic types. However, the angiocentric lymphoma type (85.7%) and the peripheral T cell lymphoma unspecified large cell type (83.3%) were identified significantly in the p53 protein positive group (p<0.05). Expression rate of EBER, bcl-2 and p53 protein were 50%, 42.5% and 53.5%, respectively. In the EBER-positive group (20 cases), bcl-2 protein was detected in 9 cases (45.0%) and p53 protein in 11 cases (55.0%). In bcl-2 protein-positive group (17 case), p53 protein was detected in 9 cases (52.9%). There were no significant difference among these data (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that EBV, bcl-2 and p53 protein play a role in the tumorigenesis of the human extranodal malignant lymphoma, independently.