[Epstein-Barr virus research by in situ hybridization in 65 cutaneous T cell epidermotropic lymphomas].

BACKGROUND

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a highly mutagenic virus known to be the cause of several types of lymphoma. There has been some controversy concerning EBV in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. The aim of this study was to search for EBV with a sensitive method: in situ hybridization in 65 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1990 to 1995, 158 samples from 65 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (2 stage IA, 12 IB, 4 IIA, 29 IIB, 16 Sézary syndrome, 2 stage IV) were collected. In situ hybridization with EBER and Bam W probes recognizing the viral latency genes were used to search for EBV.

RESULTS

EBV was evidenced with at least one of the two probes in 43 samples (26 p. 100). Prior to alpha interferon treatment, 18 p. 100 of the samples were positive for EBER compared with 18 p. 100 for Bam W. After alpha interferon treatment, there was a significantly higher percentage of EBER positive samples (39 p. 100; p = 0.03). Inversely, there was no difference for the Bam W probe (p = 0.2). Clinical stage had no effect on the presence of EBV (p = 0.18).

CONCLUSION

Our series evidenced the variable presence of EBV, identified by in situ hybridization, in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Few infiltrating cells are infected. This would be an argument in favor of an indirect role of the EBV in the transformation process. In addition, alpha interferon increases the life time of EBERs, sensitizing detection of this latency gene.