Development of EBV-encoded small RNA targeted PCR to classify EBV positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the elderly

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the elderly has been included in the 2008 WHO classification of lymphoma as a new provisional entity. EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly is newly classified due to the main occurrence usually in patients of older than 50-year-old. This study was performed in 91 DLBCL patients from January 2002 to December 2012 in Catholic university of St. Vincent Hospital. Age distribution of the patients was 14~87-year-old. Specimens were collected from lymph nodes (n = 45) and extra-lymph nodes (n = 46). EBV encoded small RNA1 in situ hybridization (EBER1-ISH) known as a standard method for the diagnosis of DLBCL. In this study, nested PCR of DNA polymerase gene and EBER PCR were conducted to detect EBV. Presence of EBV was indicated in 3 samples (3.30%) by EBER-ISH, 26 samples (28.57%) by nPCR, and 3 samples (3.30%) by EBER PCR. The concordant results were obtained from EBER1-ISH and EBER PCR. Two samples were classified as EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly among 91 DLBCL patients. Previously, the incidence rate of DLBCL of the elderly in Asia has been reported as 5~11%, but the result in this study showed a slightly lower incidence rate. To our knowledge, this is the first report on EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly in Suwon area, Korea. EBER1-ISH and EBER PCR developed in this study may be helpful in classification of EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly in future.