Expressions of latent membrane protein 1, p53 and bcl-2 proteins and their significance in Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Objective: To study the expressions of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), p53 and bcl-2 proteins and investigate their significance in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expressions of LMP1, bcl-2, and p53 proteins in 31 paraffin-embedded tissue samples from Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Result: The positivity rates of LMP1, p53 and bcl-2 proteins were 58.1% (18/31), 61.3% (19/31) and 35.5% (11/31), respectively, showing a statistically significant difference between the expressions of the former 2 proteins.
Conclusion: p53 may be involved as an important agent in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's lymphoma induced by LMP1, whereas bcl-2 appears unrelated to the development of this disease.