Search

Although cytogenetic data suggest that the t(2;5)-(p23;q35) translocation occurs in many cases of CD30+ lymphomas, the exact frequency of this event is still unknown. To clarify this issue and its epidemiological characteristics, we examined 37 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of CD30+ lymphomas from the United States and Hong Kong by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the status of the NPM and ALK genes, which are typically juxtaposed by the t(2;5) translocation. Thirty-four cases were classified as anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL), 2 cases as non-anaplastic large cell lymphomas (LCL), and 1 case as the small cell variant of CD30+ lymphoma. The t(2;5) translocation was detected in 6 cases (16%), including 3 of 18 American patients and 3 of 19 cases from Hong Kong. All cases had a 185-bp NPM RT-PCR product as detected by Southern blot analysis, indicating adequate preservation of mRNA. The 6 positive cases were among 4 of 34 adult lymphomas, as compared with 2 of 3 childhood cases. Five of 17 T-lineage cases were t(2;5)-positive, compared with 1 of 15 B-lineage cases and none of the 5 null-cell or mixed lineage cases. Our results therefore show that t(2;5) occurs at a low frequency among CD30+ lymphomas, at least in our adult-dominated series.

CD30 (Ki-1)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (CD30+ ALCL) is a morphologically and immunophenotypically distinct subset of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Although the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been well documented in a significant proportion of cases of Hodgkin's disease, another CD30+ malignancy, few studies have examined the association of EBV with CD30+ ALCL. These latter studies have produced conflicting findings. To further investigate the existence of a putative association of EBV with CD30+ ALCL, and whether this association, if present, shows geographic variation, we examined 34 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from cases of CD30+ ALCL from the United States and Hong Kong. Immunophenotypically, 15 cases were of B lineage, 15 cases were of T lineage, one case expressed both B- and T-cell markers, and three were of null lineage. A highly sensitive in situ hybridization method was performed with use of an antisense oligonucleotide probe to the EBV-encoded RNA (EBER-1). EBV-RNA was identified in 3 of 14 CD30+ ALCL specimens from Hong Kong patients and in 1 of 20 from the American patients. The EBER-1 signal was present in all or virtually all of the tumor cell nuclei in the three EBV-RNA-positive CD30+ ALCL Hong Kong cases, but was only focally present in the single EBV-positive American case. The latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) of EBV was identified in only one of the four positive cases, a Hong Kong case. Our results suggest that in contrast to Hodgkin's disease, EBV has no significant association with CD30+ ALCL.

Undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx has a well-known association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but only an inconsistent relationship has been identified in undifferentiated carcinomas occurring at other sites. We investigated 22 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cases of sinonasal undifferentiated carcinomas (SNUCs) occurring in Western and Asian patients. A highly sensitive in situ hybridization method was performed using an antisense oligonucleotide probe to the EBER1 gene of EBV. We identified EBV RNA in seven of 11 SNUCs from Asian patients, but in none of the Western SNUC patients (0/11). The EBER1 signal was present in all or virtually all of the tumor cell nuclei in the seven EBV-RNA-positive Asian SNUCs. The latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) of EBV was not identified in any of the five positive cases tested. Our results suggest that genetic predisposition or environmental/geographical cofactors play an important role in determining the strength of the association of SNUC with EBV.