The Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus and Expression of bcl-2 and p53 Proteins in the Extranodal Malignant Lymphoma of the Head and Neck / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the cause of the malignant lymphoma has not been understood entirely, viruses and oncogenes have been implicated as probable causative factors. Particularly, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the over-expression of bcl-2 and the mutant p53 seem to be closely related to lymphomatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between EBV, bcl-2 and p53 proteins in the development of human extranodal malignant lymphoma in the head and neck. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Specimens were obtained from 40 patients diagnosed as the extranodal malignant lymphoma in the head and neck region. Paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were analyzed by in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA(EBER) and by immunohistochemical technique for bcl-2 and p53 proteins. RESULTS: In EBER and bcl-2 protein-positive group, there were no significant differences in the pathologic types. However, the angiocentric lymphoma type (85.7%) and the peripheral T cell lymphoma unspecified large cell type (83.3%) were identified significantly in the p53 protein positive group (p0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that EBV, bcl-2 and p53 protein play a role in the tumorigenesis of the human extranodal malignant lymphoma, independently.