EPSTEIN -BARR VIRUS ASSOCIATION WITH MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA SUBGROUPS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is said to infect more than 90% of humans worldwide with latent infection for life. A recognized carcinogen, EBV is linked to malignant lymphoma (ML) subtypes of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), plasmablastic lymphoma, diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). We report the association of EBV with ML in a segment of our patient population. Paraffin blocks from the archives of ABUTH, Zaria were used to construct tissue microarray sections stained using 30 monoclonal antibodies for common Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma/ Hodgkin's lymphoma antigen and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) for EBV-encoded RNA were done. Fewer associations of ML with EBV were found than reported from elsewhere in Africa.