Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA)-1 carboxy-terminal and EBNA-4 sequence polymorphisms in nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma in the United States

Epstein-Barr virus molecular epidemiology and variants identification in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known as one of the most widespread oncogenic viruses. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is triggered by various risk factors. The aim of the present study was to determine the EBV infection rate, genotyping and variants frequency in HNSCC patients. In this cross-sectional study, 156 patients with HNSCC were enrolled. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples were selected from hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The EBV EBNA-3C, EBNA-1 and LMP-1 genes were amplified by PCR and then analyzed and confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. CLC work bench 5, MEGA6 and SPSS v.21 software were used for analysis the raw data. The mean age ± SD (years) of the all patients (n = 156) was 60.5 ± 12.6, in which of 121(77.6%) males it was 60.7 ± 11.9 and of 35 (22.4%) females it was 59.7 ± 14.9. Totally, 20 samples (12.8%) were found to be infected with EBV genome. The EBV genotypes 1 and 2 were calculated 90% (18/20) and 10% (2/20), respectively. vLMP-1 found in 40% (4/10) of all LMP-1 tested samples. Furthermore, the EBNA-1 predominant variants were P-ala followed by P-thr and also there were three P-ala-v2 sub variants. Statistics could not find any significant associations although there were some potentials. By our preliminary study in Iran, it revealed that EBV-1 is the predominant Epstein-Barr virus genotype in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. vLMP-1 isolates showed lower survival rate than others. EBNA-1 variants had no significant association with any specific disease complication.

Angiocentric lesions of the head and neck

Angiocentric lesions of the head and neck encompass a variety of benign and malignant lesions. Not unexpectedly the sequelae of an angiocentric process independent of its benign or malignant nature is one of tissue ischemia with a potential for either breakdown or reparative fibrosis. Therefore, the clinical presentations can be very similar despite a varied pathogenesis. Among the benign reactive infiltrates that will be considered are angiocentric eosinophilic fibrosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis and cocaine associated mid line facial destruction. We will discuss other conditions which enter into the differential diagnosis either clinically or histologically including Erdheim Chester disease and mid line facial undermining unrelated to an angiocentric event specifically in the context of trigeminal trophic ulcer and relapsing polychondritis. The two main neoplastic conditions exhibiting angiocentricity are in the context of lymphomatoid granulomatosis and NK/T cell lymphoma; hence these two particular hematologic dyscrasias will be discussed in some detail in this review.

Primary lymphoma arising in the nasal cavity among Japanese

AIMS

Most lymphomas arising in the nasal cavity are thought to be of natural killer (NK) cell origin. However, some reports indicate that T- and B-cell lymphomas may also primarily arise in the nasal cavity. We therefore studied lymphomas arising in the nasal cavity both histologically and immunohistochemically.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Of the 32 cases investigated, 20 cases were also available as fresh frozen specimens. We diagnosed 31 cases as extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and one as plasmacytoma. The neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for CD3 (polyclonal) 31/31, LMP-1 12/31, CD20 (L26) 0/31, granzyme B 30/31, TIA-1 30/30, CD56 (123C3) 29/31, CD4 0/31 and CD8 3/31. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA-1 (EBER-1) was detected in 31/31. In frozen tissue sections, neoplastic cells mostly showed CD3 (Leu4)-, CD4 (Leu3a)-, CD5 (Leu1)-, CD8 (Leu2)-, CD16 (Leu11)-, CD56 (Leu19)+, betaF1-, TCRdelta1-, perforin+, CD94+ phenotypes. These immunohistochemical findings indicate their NK cell origin. In three cases, neoplastic cells were positive for CD8. In one of these cases, neoplastic cells were positive for CD8beta and Valpha24, suggesting their NKT-cell origin.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study indicates that primary lymphomas arising in the nasal cavity are mostly of NK cell derivation. Our present study also suggests that a small number of cases are derived from NKT-cells.

A case of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated thymic carcinoid and investigation of existence of EBV-infected cells in thymus and thymic tumors

We describe the first case of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated thymic carcinoid tumor found by in situ hybridization (ISH) on paraffin-embedded sections. ISH revealed that both tumor cells and infiltrated lymphocytes were EBV positive, while a few EBV-infected lymphocytes were detected in 2 of 11 thymuses and 1 of 11 thymomas.