Objective: To evaluate the Epstein Barr virus (EBV) positive rate in untreated Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and investigate the prognostic significance of EBV status.
Methods: A total of 207 previously untreated patients with histologically confirmed Hodgkin's lymphoma were enrolled in the study. The EBV infection status was confirmed through examining EBV-RNA (EBER) or EBV latent membrane protein-1. The correlation of clinical features and EBV infection status was analyzed, also the prognostic significance of EBV infection.
Results: A total of 66 cases were confirmed to be EBV positive Hodgkin's lymphoma (EBV⁺ HL) in all 207 cases, accounting for 31.9%. EBV⁺ HL group had more male patients (46/66, 69.7%) and mixed cellularity subtype (34/66, 51.5%) than EBV negative Hodgkin's lymphoma (EBV⁻ HL) group. The EBV positive rate had two peaks in age, respectively, in the age of 0-15 yeaR-old and >60 yeaR-old. During a median follow-up period of 35 months, EBV⁻ HL was significant better than EBV⁺ HL in overall survival (P=0.001), but no significant difference was found in progression-free survival (P=0.763).
Conclusion: EBV positive is a poor prognostic factor for overall survival time in HL.