Histopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses of Hodgkin' s disease and the correlation with Epstein-Barr virus

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of histologic subtypes of Hodgkin's disease (HD) as well as their relationship with age, gender and localization, immunohistochemical (IHC) features of Reed Sternberg (RS) cells and association of HD with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Between 1987-1996, 21 patients diagnosed as HD at the Pathology Department of Cumhuriyet University Medical School were included in the study. Histologic sections were reviewed and classified according to Real classification. Gender, age and site of the nodal involvement were analyzed. IHC study was performed on paraffin sections with CD30 and CD15 monoclonal antibodies. EBV was investigated using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Histologically nodular sclerosis was the most common subtype with ten cases. Seventeen of the patients were male and four were female and the mean age was 33.6 and 38, respectively. Cervical lymph nodes were the most common involved site. By IHC analysis positive reaction was observed in 16 cases with CD15 and 14 with CD30. EBV DNA was observed in 13 of 21 cases. In conclusion, IHC seems to be a reasonable approach to support the histologic diagnosis and to improve the detection rate of RS cells and there seems to be a correlation between EBV and HD.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of histologic subtypes of Hodgkin's disease (HD) as well as their relationship with age, gender and localization, immunohistochemical (IHC) features of Reed Sternberg (RS) cells and association of HD with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Between 1987-1996, 21 patients diagnosed as HD at the Pathology Department of Cumhuriyet University Medical School were included in the study. Histologic sections were reviewed and classified according to Real classification. Gender, age and site of the nodal involvement were analyzed. IHC study was performed on paraffin sections with CD30 and CD15 monoclonal antibodies. EBV was investigated using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Histologically nodular sclerosis was the most common subtype with ten cases. Seventeen of the patients were male and four were female and the mean age was 33.6 and 38, respectively. Cervical lymph nodes were the most common involved site. By IHC analysis positive reaction was observed in 16 cases with CD15 and 14 with CD30. EBV DNA was observed in 13 of 21 cases. In conclusion, IHC seems to be a reasonable approach to support the histologic diagnosis and to improve the detection rate of RS cells and there seems to be a correlation between EBV and HD.