Epstein–barr virus infection in B-cell non-hodgkin’s lymphomas of the oral and maxillofacial region: Is there any evidence?

Introduction: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) might be an aetiological agent involved in the pathogenesis of certain Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas (NHLs). EBV infection has been diagnosed by serologic testing within the tumour biopsies of patients with NHL. However, the association between EBV and NHL is inconsi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Abdelrahim, Laila Mustafa, Peh, Suat Cheng, Kallarakkal, Thomas George
Format: Article
Published: College of Pathologists, Academy of Medicine Malaysia 2018
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Online Access:http://eprints.um.edu.my/22749/
http://www.mjpath.org.my/2018/v40n1/Epstein-Barr-virus-infection.pdf
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Summary:Introduction: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) might be an aetiological agent involved in the pathogenesis of certain Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas (NHLs). EBV infection has been diagnosed by serologic testing within the tumour biopsies of patients with NHL. However, the association between EBV and NHL is inconsistent with a preference for certain anatomic sites, histologic subtypes and immunosuppressed patients. The objective of this study was to characterise the B-cell NHLs of the oral cavity and maxillofacial region using histological and immunophenotypical techniques and to determine its association with EBV infection. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that included 14 cases of B-cell NHLs of the oral cavity and maxillofacial region. The haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue tumours classification of WHO was used to categorize the cases. In-situ hybridisation for EBV–encoded RNA was performed to confirm the EBV infection. Results: The average age of the patients included in the study was found to be 48.8 ± 23 years with a higher female to male ratio (1.3:1). Our study suggested that diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) and Burkitt’s lymphomas (BLs) constitute the predominant subtypes of lymphomas affecting the oral cavity and maxillofacial regions. Conclusion: The findings from our study support the view that at least a relatively smaller proportion of B-cell NHLs that occur in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region do not have a pathogenic association with EBV.