Lymphadenitis in children is usually associated with systemic viral illness. Especially, Epstein-Barr Virus(EBV) may have common causative roles of acute and chronic lymphadenitis in children. However, there were no definitive or practical tools
to
confirm diagnosis and pathogenesis of EBV lymphadenitis. Fortunately, molecular biological methods, especially in situ hybridization method, are using now to resolve the problems in recent time
We started this study to determine the effectiveness of in situ hybridization techinique for the diagnosis and pathogenetic study of EBV lymphadenitis. The case patients were 21 children presented with reactive hyperplasia on biopsied lymph node
since
Jan., 1990 to
Jul.. 1992 at Our Lady Mercy Hospital. Postive cellular staining were obtained with NotI PstI oligoprobe related to EBV lytic infection, and EBERs probe related to EBV latent infection in paraffin embeded sections of the cases. 6 Positive signals
of
NotI PstI probe hybridization on B-blast, and 1 positive signal of EBERs probe hybridization on small lymphocyte were seen at lymphoproliferative paracortical area. The children with positive hybridization had history of acute or chronic
tenderful
lymphadenopathy, usually located posterior cervical region. Also, we confirmed that one EBERs and NotI PstI positive case was converted to malignant lymphoma one year later.
We conclude that this in situ hybridization method with probes related to variable representatble status of EBV infection is very useful in diagnosis and pathogenetic study of EBV lymphadenitis.
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