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 clinicopathologicfeatures of Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases.
Methods: At first, the positive rate of plasma EBV-DNA was determinedwith a nested-PCR method using 45 specimens from Uygur HL patients, as well as 110 healthy people sampledas normal controls. Secondly, using fluorescent quantitative nested-PCR, EBV viral load was assessed in theEBV-DNA positive plasma samples. Then, relationships between plasma EBV viral load and clinicopathologicfeatures of HL patients were analyzed.
Results: The positive rate of plasma EBV-DNA of HL patients wassignificantly higher than that of normal controls (53.3%vs26.4%, P=0.001). There was no significant differenceabout 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 inEBV 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 clinicopathologicfeatures of cases. It was of practical use to screen HL. Further etiological studies appear warranted.