Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and MDM2 expression in Hodgkins disease.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Tumor cells in Hodgkins disease (HD) express cell proliferation markers that are evaluated according to the oncogenes involved or the expression of their proteins. Correlations between the protein expression grade and clinical data are now important for disease prognosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective analysis on proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and MDM2 (murine double minute-2) expression using immunohistochemistry, on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from diagnostic biopsies on 51 patients with HD. The study was conducted at the Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Hospital São Paulo, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. METHODS: Antigen expression was evaluated as the proportions of positive Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and reactive lymphocytes (L), which were compared using Spearman correlation coefficients. The Friedman test was used for comparisons between the markers. The Pearson test was used to investigate associations between marker expression and clinical and laboratory parameters, marrow involvement, complete remission (CR) and overall survival (OS) rates. RESULTS: There was overexpression of antigen proteins in HRS, in relation to L (p < 0.001). In HRS, MDM2 was higher than p53 and PCNA (p < 0.003), while the latter two were equivalent. In L, p53 was lower than MDM2 and PCNA (p < 0.001), while the latter two were equivalent. There was no relationship between protein expression and clinical and laboratory variables or outcome. CONCLUSIONS: PCNA, p53 and MDM2 are tumor markers for HD, but showed no clinical or prognostic significance in our analysis.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and MDM2 expression in Hodgkins disease

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Tumor cells in Hodgkins disease (HD) express cell proliferation markers that are evaluated according to the oncogenes involved or the expression of their proteins. Correlations between the protein expression grade and clinical data are now important for disease prognosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective analysis on proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and MDM2 (murine double minute-2) expression using immunohistochemistry, on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from diagnostic biopsies on 51 patients with HD. The study was conducted at the Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Hospital São Paulo, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. METHODS: Antigen expression was evaluated as the proportions of positive Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and reactive lymphocytes (L), which were compared using Spearman correlation coefficients. The Friedman test was used for comparisons between the markers. The Pearson test was used to investigate associations between marker expression and clinical and laboratory parameters, marrow involvement, complete remission (CR) and overall survival (OS) rates. RESULTS: There was overexpression of antigen proteins in HRS, in relation to L (p < 0.001). In HRS, MDM2 was higher than p53 and PCNA (p < 0.003), while the latter two were equivalent. In L, p53 was lower than MDM2 and PCNA (p < 0.001), while the latter two were equivalent. There was no relationship between protein expression and clinical and laboratory variables or outcome. CONCLUSIONS: PCNA, p53 and MDM2 are tumor markers for HD, but showed no clinical or prognostic significance in our analysis.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: As células tumorais da doença de Hodgkin (HD) são positivas para marcadores de proliferação celular que são analisados por seus genes e respectivas proteínas. A correlação entre a expressão destas proteínas e os parâmetros clínico-laboratoriais são, no momento, de importância para o prognóstico da doença. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo retrospectivo da expressão do antígeno de proliferação celular (PCNA) e da p53 e MDM2 em tecidos obtidos ao diagnóstico, fixados por formol, embebidos em parafina de 51 pacientes com HD. O trabalho foi realizado na Divisão de Hematologia e Transfusão, Hospital São Paulo, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: As expressões antigênicas foram analisadas através da proporção de células de Hodgkin e células de Reed Sternberg (HRS) e linfócitos reacionais (L) positivos. A intensidade de expressão de cada proteína foi comparada entre L e HRS através do coeficiente de Spearman. A comparação da PCNA, p53 e MDM2 em L e HRS se fez pelo teste de Fiedman. As correlações entre variáveis clínico-laboratoriais, comprometimento da medula óssea, taxas de sobrevida geral e remissão clínica com as proteínas em HRS se fizeram pelo coeficiente de Pearson. RESULTADOS: Houve superexpressão das três proteínas em células HRS comparadas aos L (p < 0,001). Nas células HRS, a MDM2 foi maior que a p53 e a PCNA (p < 0,003), que foram equivalentes. Nos L, a p53 foi menor que a MDM2 e a PCNA (p < 0,001), que foram equivalentes Não houve relação entre as expressões das proteínas com as variáveis clínico-laboratoriais e sobrevida. CONCLUSÕES: PCNA, p53 e MDM2 são marcadores tumorais na HD, porém não mostraram significado clínico-prognóstico em nossa análise.

Hodgkin's disease in Costa Rica: a report of 40 cases analyzed for Epstein-Barr virus.

We studied 40 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) from Costa Rica for evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin (RS-H) cells. We also compared the epidemiologic features of these patients with previous reports of HD in industrialized and developing nations. Because Costa Ricans enjoy a relatively higher standard of living than the residents of other developing Central American nations yet live in the same general geographic region and are genetically similar, we believed that this comparison might shed additional light on the hypothesis that the prevalence of EBV in HD and the epidemiologic factors of HD are influenced by socioeconomic factors. In 16 (40%) of 40 cases, immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the RS-H cells were positive for EBV latent membrane protein (LMP), including 1 case of lymphocytic depletion analyzed, 12 (86%) of 14 cases of mixed cellularity, and 3 (15%) of 20 cases of nodular sclerosis. All five cases of lymphocytic predominance were negative. In the 16 EBV LMP-positive cases, polymerase chain reaction studies revealed that the virus was type A in 12 cases and type B in 4 cases. Nodular sclerosis was the most common type of HD, accounting for 20 cases (50%), followed by mixed cellularity, with 14 cases (35%). The relatively low prevalence of EBV in the RS-H cells of HD and the high incidence of nodular sclerosis in Costa Rica are similar to industrialized nations and are unlike HD in neighboring Central American countries. These findings further support the hypothesis that the prevalence of EBV in HD and the epidemiologic features of HD are most closely linked with socioeconomic conditions, and geographic location or ethnic heritage are of relatively less importance.