Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease (HD), and the association between EBV and HD is influenced by the patients' socioeconomic status, age and the presence of mixed cellularity (MC) histological subtype. The prevalence of EBV in HD varies widely. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of EBV in HD in a Brazilian population. We studied 64 cases with a monoclonal antibody to the EBV latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1). EBV was detected in 35 of the 64 cases (55%) and its presence was significantly correlated with the MC subtype (OR = 9; IC 95% = 1.66 - 66; p = 0,0015). These results support that EBV is related to HD in a Brazilian population.
Hodgkin's disease; Epstein-Barr virus; LMP1
