Epstein-Barr virus DNA in serum as an early prognostic marker in children and adolescents with Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

Assay of cell-free DNA in blood offers an approach to assessment of tumor DNA. We sought to determine whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in cell-free blood is also a good surrogate for the presence of tumor DNA in children with Hodgkin lymphoma, as it is in adults, and whether it correlates with pediatric outcomes. Pediatric patients enrolled in a Children's Oncology Group trial (AHOD0031) were studied at baseline and at 8 days after the initiation of treatment. At baseline, EBV DNA in cell-free blood correlated with the presence of EBV in tumor, and EBV DNA 8 days after the initiation of therapy predicted inferior event-free survival. EBV DNA in cell-free blood warrants further investigation as a marker of inadequate tumor response in Hodgkin lymphoma. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00025259.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest disclosure: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Figures

Graphical abstract

Figure 1.

Kaplan-Meier EFS estimates. EFS estimates stratified by serum EBV DNA status (≤60 copies per 100 µL serum compared with >60 copies per 100 µL serum) at (A) baseline and (B) day 8. Note that there were patients with serum EBV copy number determinations but no ISH, so the number of patients included is greater than that shown in Table 1.