Evaluation of EBV-LMP1 as prognostic indicator of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Indonesian patients.

Forty eight cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who had been treated with radiotherapy were analysed for the expression of EBER in the nucleus of the tumor cells by in situ hybridization technique. EBER was expressed in 69% of the cases. Histologic specimens positive for EBER were then examined for the expression of EBV-LMP1 by immunohistochemistry, which showed 68% positivity. Clinical staging of 48 cases and radiation response of 32 cases were collected. Data of up to 2 years of survival of 16 cases were obtained through postal and phone communication. Statistical analysis showed that the Working Formulation histologic classification of NPC correlated significantly with radiation response. The expression of EBV-LMP1 was correlated significantly with the survival of the patients. Thus EBV-LMP1 which has been shown to possess influence on lymphoid and epithelial cells, clinicopathologically proved to have a function as prognostic indicator.

Epstein-Barr virus in non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the tonsil in Indonesian patients.

Twenty cases of tonsillar non-Hodgkin lymphoma seen at the Department of Anatomic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia during 1995-1997 were studied clinicopathologically. The specimens were analysed for routine histopathology, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The lymphoma was found mostly in the 7th decade, the median age was 57.5 year. Male to female ratio was 1:1. The hostological types were 70% of intermediate grade and 30% of high grade of malignancy. All of the lymphomas were B cell lymphomas. EBER and LMP1 were not expressed in all cases.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: correlation of histopathology with radiation response.

Forty-nine cases of NPC were evaluated histopathologically and the radiation responses of the tumor types were assessed. The overall radiation response were as follows: CR 40.8%, PR 14.3%, NC 42.9%, PD 2.0%. The distribution of tumor types were: Squamous cell carcinoma (WHO type I) 4.08%; Non-keratinizing carcinoma (WHO type II) 4.08%; Undifferentiated carcinoma (WHO type III) 91.84% var. Lympho-epitheliomatous (LE), Anaplastic (A), Spindle cell (SC), Clear cell (CC). 94.38% of the cases were classified as clinical stage II, III and IV (tumor found beyond the nasopharyngeal space). The radiation response rate of the tumor in the lymphnode was reversed to the clinical stage and extent of node involvement, namely the higher stage and node involvement, the less rate of radiation response. Twelve cases received radiation dose of less than 4000 cGy, which comprised 11 NC cases and 1 PD case. Of the 37 cases who got 4000 cGy and over, the response rate was 72.97%. Of these WHO type I was not evaluated because of insufficient radiation dose; WHO type II showed 50% response rate; WHO type III showed 74.29% response rate. Radiation response (as assessed from the cervical lymphnode involvement) of NPC was influenced by tumor burden and histologic type of the tumor, namely the less differentiated tumor responded better than the more differentiated one. No definite conclusion can be drawn yet of the different behaviour (if any) of the variants of undifferentiated carcinoma (WHO type III) toward irradiation.

A clinico-pathologic study of cases with Schistosoma japonicum infection in Indonesia.

Combined clinico-pathological and laboratory examinations were carried out on 52 S. japonicum infected patients from an endemic area in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. All of these patients exhibited signs and symptoms of chronic hepato-splenic schistosomiasis. None of the patients showed evidence of liver cirrhosis on histopathological examination. However, varying degrees of portal fibrosis were exhibited. The correlation between the degree of fibrosis and the clinical and laboratory findings were presented and discussed. Based on the results, liver biopsy proved to be a vaulable method of diagnosis in this particular type of infection. This study provides new information on S. japonicum infection in the area and may support a more solid basis for treatment.