Grant Details
Grant Number: |
3P01CA069266-05S2 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Mueller, Nancy |
Organization: |
Harvard School Of Public Health |
Project Title: |
Viral Etiology of Hodgkins Disease |
Fiscal Year: |
2005 |
Abstract
Recent findings on Hodgkin's disease (HD) present a number of
important questions. The established risk factors point to age of
infection as an important modifier of risk. Cases have altered
antibody profiles to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) preceding and
following diagnosis. The new finding is that 30-50% of HD cases'
tumors contain monoclonal EBV genome, with a restricted latent
protein expression. How these risk factor, serologic, and molecular
data fit together and whether EBV-genome negative HD represents a
separate etiology are unknown. This Program Project is designed to
test three alternate models of the role of the EBV in the
pathogenesis of HD: the EBV is solely related to EBV-genome positive
HD with EBV-genome negative disease due to non-viral causes; HD is
a virally induced malignancy with the EBV responsible for EBV-genome
positive disease and another unidentified virus(es) linked to EBV-
genome negative disease; or the EBV plays a crucial early role in
the pathogenesis of essentially all HD cases but the genome is
selectively lost in some patients. Three companion projects will
address the following: the role of EBV in the epidemiology of HD
(600 cases and 600 population controls); the association of pre-
diagnosis EBV serology with EBV genome status of tumor biopsy in HD
(200 cases and 200 matched controls); and characterization of the
EBV infection and the cellular immune response in HD cases (160
cases and 160 bone marrow donor controls). The Projects are
supported by a serology/pathology Core and an Administrative Core.
The combined mutually standardized data from the population studies,
plus extensive biomarkers including EBV serology and viral probes,
and detailed immunologic markers will result in a substantial and
rich database. The program brings together an experienced multi-
disciplinary group of investigators; by working together we should
gain insight into the etiology of HD.
Publications
None. See parent grant details.