Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Indian children: Prevalence and significance of Epstein–Barr virus detection in Hodgkin’s and Reed–Sternberg cells

Abstract Aim This study was done to document the prevalence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) in children of North India. Methods 145 previously untreated children diagnosed with HL from 1991 to 2003 were included. Lymph node (LN) biopsies were studied and classified using World Health Organisation (WHO) classification. EBV detection was done by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridisation (ISH) in 145 cases and 25 age- and sex-matched controls. Patients were treated with chemotherapy alone. Results EBV was detected by IHC in 131 (90.3%) cases and by ISH in 126 (93.3%) out of 135 cases, and in none of the controls examined. With IHC and ISH combined, EBV positivity was seen in 96.6% and was significantly associated with younger age ( p = 0.012) and lower socioeconomic level ( p = 0.007). EBV status had no implication on treatment response and survival. Conclusion EBV detection in 96.6% of childhood HL in a population with almost universal EBV seroconversion, and in none of the control lymph nodes, suggests a causative role of EBV in most cases of Indian childhood HL.