Epstein-Barr Virus DNA frequency in paraffin embedded tissues of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients from Ahvaz, Iran

Background: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a DNA virus which belongs to the Herpesviridae family and in γ-herpesvirus subfamily, has been infected about 95% of the world's population. EBV is transmitted through saliva and associated with different disease such as Infectious Mononucleosis, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Burkitts lymphoma, Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The study proposed to determine the frequency of Epstein-Barr Virus expression in histological tissue of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Ahvaz, Iran. Materials and methods: In this study 29 samples of Non- Hodgkins lymphoma were examined from Ahvaz Imam Khomeini Hospital, using Nested-PCR technique on EBNA-1 region in order to determine the presence of EBV genome in tumoral tissues. Results: Among 29 cases of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 14 (48%) cases were positive for EBV. Out of 14 samples of Non- Hodgkins lymphoma, 4(28.57%) were female and 10 (71.42%) were male. A number of 8 (57%) cases belonged to the adults age group which proves association between age and EBV positive Non-Hodgkins lymphoma according to Fishers exact test (P=0.03). However, in the current study there was no significant difference between EBV positive cases and sex subject (P=0.626). Conclusion: The result of the this study revealed that Epstein- Barr Virus played a possible important role in Non-Hodgkins lymphoma especially on adults.