Human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) infection in histologically normal human tissues was investigated by immunohistochemical detection of the 85-kDa tegument phosphoprotein (pp85) encoded by the U14 gene. So far, two cell types were recognized as sites of HHV-7 infection in vivo: CD4+ T lymphocytes, believed to be the site of latent infection, and epithelial cells of salivary glands, the site of productive infection and viral shedding. Unexpectedly, cells expressing the HHV-7 structural antigen were detectable in lungs, skin, and mammary glands. Morphologically and phenotypically, they were distinct from lymphocytes. Liver, kidney, and tonsils were positive, although the number of HHV-7-positive cells was low. Large intestine, spleen, and brain were negative. Different from the current notion of the state of HHV-7 in humans, the results show that a variety of tissues harbor cells at a late stage of infection and suggest that HHV-7 causes a persistent rather than a true latent infection.

Both patients were men with nodular lesions on the face. Histologically, the lesions were composed predominantly of variably maturated plasma cells with monotypic expression of immunoglobulin (Ig) lambda chains. Polymerase chain reaction for IgH genes did not reveal clonal rearrangement. Our cases are discussed in the context of previously reported cases of PCP with a long-term follow-up. We also include a review of all cases of PCP with known tumor progression earlier in the course of the disease (local relapse or visceral spread) to determine the clinical course of this primary cutaneous lymphoma.

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BACKGROUND The histologic subtype of a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) may be an important factor for the success of a certain treatment modality. In the current article, the authors report recurrence rates among patients with BCC after superficial radiotherapy as well as Bcl‐2 and p53 expression levels stratified by BCC subtype. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective study of 175 BCCs in 148 patients (64 female patients and 84 male patients; mean age, 69 years) who were treated with radiotherapy. According to their histologic patterns, BCCs were classified as nodular (n = 103), superficial (n = 25), and sclerosing (n = 47). In addition, six patients with metatypic BCC were reviewed. Bcl‐2 and p53 protein expression was examined on a tissue microarray of 60 BCC samples (18 nodular tumors, 12 superficial tumors, and 30 sclerosing tumors). RESULTS The estimated 5‐year recurrence rate for all patients with BCC was 15.8%: 8.2% for patients with the nodular subtype, 26.1% for patients with the superficial subtype, and 27.7% for patients with the sclerosing subtype (Kaplan–Meier analysis: P = 0.055). The median follow‐up was 48 months. The mean time to recurrence was 20 months, and 86.4% of all recurrences occurred within 3 years after treatment. No gender‐specific differences were observed. In addition, one of six metatypic BCCs recurred. Nuclear p53 immunoreactivity and low Bcl‐2 expression were significantly correlated with the sclerosing subtype. Overall, 61.5% of patients developed additional neoplasms during follow‐up (76 developed additional BCCs, 15 developed squamous cell carcinomas, and 6 developed Bowen disease). CONCLUSIONS The sclerosing subtype of BCC was a risk factor for recurrence after radiotherapy. In contrast, excellent results were achieved for patients with predominant nodular subtype. Nevertheless, radiotherapy may be the therapy of choice for patients with all BCC subtypes, depending on the individual patient's characteristics. Expression analyses confirmed that p53 and Bcl‐2 levels may be used as indicators for the aggressiveness of a BCC subtype. Due to the high incidence of additional skin malignancies, patients with BCC need careful follow‐up. Cancer 2003;98:2708–14. © 2003 American Cancer Society.

MUM1 expression is a valuable tool for the distinction of LyP and ALCL and thus represents a novel adjunctive diagnostic marker in CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders.