Epstein Barr virus in relation to apoptosis markers and patients’ outcome in pediatric B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

In this study, we investigated Epstein Barr virus (EBV) presence, associated to proliferation and apoptosis proteins in pediatric B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). EBERs, Ki67, active caspase 3, Bax and Bcl2 were analyzed on B-NHL tissue from 40 patients. Forty percent showed EBV expression, significantly higher among patients ⩽10 years (P = 0.027), and associated with immunosuppression (P = 0.020), but not associated apotosis markers. However, EBV was associated with a worse event-free survival (P = 0.016), particularly under immunosuppression. Even though EBV did not seem to alter apoptotic pathways, it exhibited survival disadvantage and could be an important cofactor in B-cell lymphomagenesis in younger children.