Plasmablastic lymphomas: EBV latency profile and MYC gene aberrations

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive disease that involves the <i>Epstein-Barr</i> virus (EBV), <i>Human immunodeficiency virus</i> (HIV) and <i>MYC</i> gene aberrations. We aimed to determine the EBV latent infection pattern and frequency of <i>MYC</i> gene aberrations in PBLs. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies for EBNA1, EBNA2 and LMP1 while fluorescence <i>in-situ</i> hybridization was performed using a <i>MYC</i> probe. The patient cohort comprised 49 adult cases (44 were HIV-positive and 3 were HIV-negative). Forty-one cases were EBV-positive with 11 EBNA1-positive cases, all cases EBNA2-negative and 4 LMP1-positive cases. Latency 0 was determined in 29 cases, latency I in 8 cases and latency II in 4 cases. The <i>MYC</i> gene was rearranged in 8 cases, showed copy number variations in 11 cases and was intact in 11 cases. This is the largest cohort of PBLs from South Africa to show a predominantly restricted EBV latency pattern with <i>MYC</i> gene aberrations as a common finding.