ABSTRACT
Objective/background: Epstein Barr Virus [EBV] DNA load is increasingly being used as a noninvasive biomarker for detecting EBV association in lymphomas. Since there is a need of data from India, we undertook to prospectively evaluate plasma EBV DNA load as a marker of EBV association in newly diagnosed adult-onset Hodgkin lymphoma [HL]
Methods: EBV DNA was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In a subset of patients, an assay was validated qualitatively with EBV latent membrane protein-1 [LMP1] immunohistochemistry [IHC]. Wherever possible, follow-up plasma samples post three cycles of chemotherapy were obtained
Results: Over a period of 10 months, 33 newly diagnosed adult-onset HL were enrolled in the study. Pretherapy plasma EBV DNA was detectable in [tilde] 49% [16/33] patients [viral loads range, 1.0-51.2 [tilde] 10[3] copies/mL] and undetectable in 30 voluntary blood donors. LMP1 IHC was positive in 56% of cases tested [14/25]. Sensitivity and specificity of plasma EBV DNA with respect to LMP1 IHC were 86% and 100%, respectively. Of the eight patients in whom follow-up plasma was available, in five EBV baseline-positive patients EBV load reverted to negative postchemotherapy and corroborated with clinical remission
Conclusion: Plasma EBV DNA load estimation may be useful in detecting EBV-association and possibly monitoring the response to therapy in EBV-related HL especially in our country where EBV association of HL is higher than in developed nations