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Detection of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) genomes in the serum of patients with EBV‐associated Hodgkin's disease
Author(s) -
Gallagher Alice,
Armstrong Alison A.,
MacKenzie Jane,
Shield Lesley,
Khan Gulfaraz,
Lake Annette,
Proctor Stephen,
Taylor Penny,
Clements Geoffrey B.,
Jarrett Ruth F.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990820)84:4<442::aid-ijc20>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - mononucleosis , epstein–barr virus , virus , polymerase chain reaction , herpesviridae , disease , gammaherpesvirinae , immunology , virology , cancer , dna , real time polymerase chain reaction , biology , medicine , viral disease , gene , genetics
DNA from malignant cells is present in the serum/plasma of cancer patients and DNA from this source is amenable to analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the present study, we evaluated whether Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) DNA is present in the serum of patients with EBV‐associated Hodgkin's disease (HD). Using conventional PCR, EBV DNA was detected in serum from 30/33 patients with EBV‐associated HD but in only 6/26 patients with non‐EBV‐associated disease ( p < 0.001). Samples from healthy individuals were negative and only 5/12 infectious mononucleosis samples were positive. Real‐time quantitative PCR was subsequently employed to determine the concentration of EBV DNA present in serum; among positive samples the level ranged from 1 to 705 copies per 125 μl of serum. Post‐treatment samples from 5/14 cases with EBV‐associated HD contained detectable EBV DNA; analysis of this small group of cases suggests that positivity in post‐treatment samples correlates with risk factors indicative of a poor prognosis. Overall, our results are consistent with the notion that DNA from Reed‐Sternberg cells is present in the serum of HD patients, and further suggest that serum EBV should be evaluated as a prognostic marker. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:442–448, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.