Detection by in situ hybridization of HIV and c-myc RNA in tumour cells of AIDS-related B-cell lymphomas.

The incidence of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related malignant lymphoma has increased since the disease was first described, but its pathogenesis is still not understood. There have been numerous molecular studies addressing the clonality of these proliferations, the presence of Epstein-Barr virus genome in the tumor cells, and rearrangements of the c-myc oncogene. However, very few in situ hybridization studies have been carried out. We analysed 24 cases of high-grade B-cell malignant lymphomas and two cases of polymorphic B-cell proliferation associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Human immunodeficiency virus ribonucleic acids were detected in some of the tumour cells in 19 of the 24 cases of malignant lymphomas and in both cases of polymorphic B-cell proliferation, with the in situ hybridization technique and using a specific tritiated copy deoxyribonucleic acid probe. With the same technique, c-myc ribonucleic acid was detected in most of the tumour cells from all the 21 cases of malignant lymphomas tested but not in the polymorphic B-cell proliferation.