Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia not associated with HIV infection: role of Epstein-Barr virus.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used to determine the presence of Epstein-Barr virus sequences in seven cases of pulmonary lymphoid interstitial pneumonia not associated with HIV infection. Evidence of Epstein-Barr virus genome was found in three of six cases in which beta-globin gene, used as an internal control for the integrity and amplifiability of the tissue DNA, could be detected. These results suggest that Epstein-Barr virus infection is not always required for the development of lymphoid interstitial pneumonia.