Clinical significance of quantitative analysis of plasma epstein- barr virus DNA in patients of Xinjiang Uygur nationality with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between plasma EBV-DNA concentration and clinicopathologic features of Hodgkin's lymphoma cases.

Methods: At first, the positive rate of plasma EBV-DNA was determined with a nested-PCR method using 45 specimens from Uygur HL patients, as well as 110 healthy people sampled as normal controls. Secondly, using fluorescent quantitative nested-PCR, EBV viral load was assessed in the EBV-DNA positive plasma samples. Then, relationships between plasma EBV viral load and clinicopathologic features of HL patients were analyzed.

Results: The positive rate of plasma EBV-DNA of HL patients was significantly higher than that of normal controls (53.3%vs26.4%, P=0.001). There was no significant difference about plasma EBV viral load between EBV-associated HL and EBV-DNA positive normal people (P=0.490). Looking at patients' characteristics, plasma EBV viral load in 10-20 years EBV-associated HL was higher than in EBV cases which were less than 10 years or more than 35 years (P=0.025). Furthermore, in EBV-associated HL, concentration of plasma EBV-DNA was significantly higher in advanced stage disease (stages III-IV; P=0.013), and with B-symptoms (P=0.020).

Conclusion: EBV-DNA levels were associated with part of clinicopathologic features of cases. It was of practical use to screen HL. Further etiological studies appear warranted.