[Internal deletions of the latent membrane protein oncogenes of Epstein-Barr virus in Hodgkin's disease are almost identical with those of Asiatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

The latent membrane protein (LMP) oncogene of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is 1300 base pairs (bp) long and expressed in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells of about 50% of Hodgkin's lymphomas and in tumor cells of about 60% of nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC). The LMP sequences of EBV variants isolated from two NPC (NPC 1510 and NPC CAO) have recently been published. Compared to the standard EBV sequence (EBV B95-8) they both show deletions of 30 bp near the 3' end. These mutations render the LMP oncogene more aggressive in NPC. In 52 Hodgkin's lymphomas expressing the LMP oncogene was amplified the coding sequence by the polymerase chain reaction. In five tumors deletions within the coding region for the intracytoplasmic LMP domain have been found. DNA sequencing revealed three 30 bp deletions almost identical to those observed in NPC 1510 and NPC CAO. In a forth case, a 70 bp deletion encompassing the regions of the 30 bp deletions was found. Histologically, all five tumors with such deletions showed abundant HRS cells. It is likely that these mutations of the LMP oncogene in a similar way as in NPC also favour the proliferation of HRS cells in Hodgkin's disease.