Afsoon Shariat - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Kazerun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran

Background and Aims: Epstein Barr virus is associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Burkitt lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The aim of this study was to detect the frequency of EBV in tissue specimens from patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma in the Fars province using the immunohistochemical method. Materials and Methods: A number of ۳۰ cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma tissue samples were selected from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded blocks from the Fars province hospitals in ۲۰۱۶ and the expression of LMP۱ was evaluated using the immunohistochemical method. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and Fisher’s exact test. Results and Conclusions: A total of ۷۷% of the samples (۲۳ of ۳۰), were presented with Epstein-Barr virus and positive cases included ۱۶ males and ۷ females. Eighty seven percent (۷ of ۸) of the Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients infected with EBV were in the age group ۱-۱۴ years, ۶۰% (۳ of ۵) in the age group of ۱۵-۴۹ years and ۷۶% (۱۳ of ۱۷) in the age group over ۴۹ years. The highest expression rate of the virus was seen among mixed cellularity Hodgkin’s lymphoma subtype (۹۳%). According to the Fisher’s exact test, there was no significant correlation in the prevalence of EBV subtypes among different sex and age groups (p values > ۰.۰۵). The results showed a high expression of EBV among Hodgkin’s lymphoma specimens of children and adults in the Fars province. Also, the prevalence of EBV was higher among males compared to females and mixed cellularity was the predominant subtype. These results are similar to that in other developing countries.

Epstein-Barr virus, Hodgkin's lymphoma, Immunohistochemistry, Fars province, ویروس اپشتین بار, لنفوم هوجکین, ایمونوهیستوشیمی, استان فارس