Absence of human herpesvirus-6 genome by polymerase chain reaction in children with Hodgkin disease: a Children's Cancer Group Lymphoma Biology Study

BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV6) has been implicated in adult lymphomas but the role that HHV6 has in lymphomagenesis is unclear. Because primary infection occurs in children, a prospective study was undertaken to detect HHV6 in those with pediatric Hodgkin disease (HD). OBSERVATIONS: Tumor was obtained from children with HD entered on a Children's Cancer Group Biology Study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using HHV6 primers. All 47 specimens (40 nodular sclerosing; 3 lymphocyte predominant; 3 mixed cellularity; and 1 unclassified) were negative for HHV6. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate no HHV6 sequence in childhood HD.