ABSTRACT
The molecular cell sciences have had a great impact in the analysis of the genetic and epigenetic events of esophageal and gastric tumorigenesis. In other regions of the alimentary tract such as the colon, the serial identification of the molecular events in the corresponding morphological lesions is perhaps most advanced. This is, in part, due to the relative ease of the histological characterisation of the premalignant lesions. In this regard the analysis of morphological and molecular adaptation in the alimentary tract is inextricable. This review aims, therefore, to judiciously assess the relative applications of contemporary techniques in investigative histopathology.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology , Molecular Biology/methods , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Adenocarcinoma/chemistry , Adenocarcinoma/genetics , Blotting, Western , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/chemistry , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics , DNA, Neoplasm/analysis , Esophageal Neoplasms/chemistry , Esophageal Neoplasms/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , In Situ Hybridization , Polymerase Chain Reaction , RNA, Neoplasm/analysis , Stomach Neoplasms/chemistry , Stomach Neoplasms/genetics , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is generally held to infect B cells and epithelial cells, although there are now reports of EBV infection in normal T cells and neoplastic T-cell diseases. In patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, EBV is associated with the benign epithelial lesion, hairy leukoplakia, and has been reported in up to 80% of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related B-cell lymphoma. This study shows the presence of EBV in malignant oral T-cell lymphoma in three AIDS patients, two of whom had concurrent manifestation of hairy leukoplakia. The T-cell lineage of the tumor cells was determined by positive immunophenotyping for T-cell markers and lack of B-cell or nonhematopoietic (cytokeratin) determinants. All tumors contained monoclonal T-cell populations shown by polymerase chain reaction, which showed amplification of T-cell receptor gamma chain DNA without evidence of Ig heavy chain gene rearrangement. Furthermore, these lesions showed the presence of EBV DNA and expression of EBV latent gene products in the tumor cells. EBV involvement in AIDS-related T-cell lymphoma has not been widely reported and may represent a further manifestation of opportunistic EBV infection arising in the HIV-immunocompromised host.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/immunology , Herpesvirus 4, Human/isolation & purification , Lymphoma, T-Cell/microbiology , Mouth Neoplasms/microbiology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/microbiology , Adult , Base Sequence , DNA, Viral/analysis , Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor , Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics , Humans , Immunophenotyping , Lymphoma, T-Cell/complications , Lymphoma, T-Cell/immunology , Male , Middle Aged , Molecular Sequence Data , Mouth Neoplasms/complications , Mouth Neoplasms/immunology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/pathologyABSTRACT
A case of oral hairy leukoplakia presenting in an HIV-negative renal transplant recipient is described. The diagnosis was confirmed by identifying Epstein-Barr viral particles in the upper prickle cell layers of the epithelium by electron microscopy and by in situ DNA hybridisation.
