Detection of Epstein–Barr virus in Pediatric Lymphoma: A Single Center Study

Background: Efforts were made in order to identify the etiologic factors in pediatric cancers. Several studies have suggested a probable etiologic association between lymphoma and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV); therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of EBV in childhood lymphoma. Materials and method: Paraffin block of 63 pediatric patients with lymphoma was studied for detection of EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1). The clinical data regarding age, sex, type of lymphoma and histology, stage of the disease of the patients treated in a retrospective consecutive manner for 5 years were used. Results: Sixty-three eligible patients including 41 (65%) patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 22 (34.9%) of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) were assessed. The male to female ratio was 3.84/1. Regarding the gender, the overall difference between NHL and HL was statistically significant. With respect to age, the difference between HL and NHL was not significant. EBV LMP1 gene transcripts were found in 65.8% of children with NHL and 59% of children with HL. Regarding the type of lymphoma, LMP1 positivity was not statistically significant (P=0.087). Conclusion: EBV infection may be a factor involved in the high incidence of pediatric lymphoma; our study suggests a positive influence of EBV infection in pediatric lymphomas.