Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, immunophenotype and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of the upper respiratory tract lymphomas in patients from north China.
Methods: 112 cases of upper respiratory tract lymphomas in patients from north China were investigated. HE stain for histologic features. Immunohistochemistry studies were performed using monoclonal antibodies, UCHL-1 for T-lymphocyte, L26 and 4KB5 for B lymphocyte, CS1-4 for latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1). In situ hybridization for EBV encoded small nuclear RNA (EBER 1/2, Y017, DAKO).
Results: 77/112 cases (68.75%) were T-cell lymphomas, 35 cases (31.25%) were B cell lymphomas. EBV-EBER 1/2 in situ hybridization positive in 54/101 (53.46%) cases, including 48 T-cell lymphoma cases and 6 B-cell lymphoma cases.
Conclusion: Most upper respiratory tract lymphoma cases in patients from north China are T-cell lymphomas and are strongly associated with EBV.