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A total of 151 unselected malignant and nonmalignant lymphoid tissue samples were surveyed by Southern blotting for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA. Eight of 28 Hodgkin's disease (HD) samples (29%) had detectable EBV DNA. Both nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity histologic results were positive. The tumor type with the next highest frequency, 8%, was diffuse large cell lymphoma. The presence of EBV DNA in some HD biopsies suggests that EBV may be a factor in the pathogenesis of this disease. Alternatively, its presence may be secondary to the immune deficiency characteristic of HD. The clonal B-lymphocyte expansions reported in some cases of HD may result from EBV infection.

Six cases of diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) of the liver were studied with immunohistochemistry for common leukocyte antigen (CLA), lysozyme, alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), and kappa and lambda light chains on paraffin-embedded tissues. All six cases were positive for CLA. Four of the six cases showed staining for lysozyme and AAT (three focal and one diffuse staining). In three cases, frozen tissue for monoclonal antibodies and glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue for electron microscopic examination were available. Two of these showed B-cell phenotypes with monoclonal antibody studies. Electron microscopic examination on these two B-cell lymphomas showed scant cytoplasm and a paucity of cytoplasmic organelles. The third case did not show definite B- or T-cell surface markers but did show strong Leu-M1 and OKM1 staining. Electron microscopic examination of the tumor cells showed a prominent Golgi apparatus, abundant cytoplasm with numerous cytoplasmic organelles and phagolysosomes. However, DNA hybridization studies on this tumor showed immunoglobulin heavy and kappa light chain gene rearrangements typical of a B-cell lymphoma. All six lymphomas were solitary liver masses without evidence of disease elsewhere. The mean age for the six patients was 56.2 years (four males, two females).