Identification of EBV-DNA in lymph nodes from patients with lymphadenopathy and lymphomas associated with AIDS.

Fourteen examples of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and four of Hodgkin's disease in patients with AIDS as well as lymph nodes exhibiting changes related to the lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS) from 11 HIV-positive individuals were studied for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome both by in situ DNA hybridization and blotting techniques. Both methods were performed using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material. All the NHLs were of high malignancy and all but one were of the B-cell type. Of the four examples of Hodgkin's disease, two were lymphocytic predominant, one of mixed cellularity and one of the nodular sclerosing variety. The lymph nodes of patients with LAS were mostly stage I with marked follicular hyperplasia. In 7 of the 14 NHLs the presence of EBV-DNA was clearly demonstrated by dot-blotting and by in situ hybridization. All lymph nodes from the patients with LAS and AIDS-related Hodgkin's disease were negative for EBV by dot-blot and in situ hybridization assays. We conclude that EBV plays a role in the development of AIDS-related lymphomas, but the fact that half these lymphomas are EBV-negative suggests that other mechanisms such as polyclonal stimulation of B-cells by HIV products may also be important.