Objective:The occurrence of numerous tumors, particularly classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (CHL), is related with Ep-stein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. However, the incidence of CHL and its association with EBV varies significantly with ethnicity, geo-graphic location, sex, and age. This study investigated the association of EBV infection with CHL in Northern Chinese Han population. Methods:EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) was detected in 136 cases of CHL through in situ hybridization. Results:A total of 37 cas-es were EBER positive (28%). The mixed cellularity (MC) subtype had the highest positive EBER rate of 49%(23/47;P<0.001), fol-lowed by lymphocyte-rich subtype with 30%(3/10), nodular sclerosis (NS) subtype with 14%(10/73), and 1ymphocyte depletion with 0%(0/2). Our study identified a single age distribution in the third decade. Moreover, NS subtype showed an evident single peak in the third decade. However, MC subtype had a lower peak in the fifth decade. The incidence of EBER showed a bimodal age distribution with two peaks in the first and fifth decades (21.6%and 24.3%, respectively). Conclusion:CHL in Northern Chinese Han population was associated with EBV infection, particularly the MC subtype.

Objective: To investigate the reverse effect and mechanism of IL-12 on chemotherapeutic medicine suppressing the immune function of NK cells. Methods: Purified NK cells were stimulated with PMAplus Ionomycin in the presence or absent of Cisplatin (DDP) and IL-12. The levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α in culture supernatants were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); The content of IFN-γ and TNF-α, TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand) and transcription factors including T-bet and p-STAT-4 in NK cells were analyzed by Flow cytometry. The cytotoxicity of purified NK cells (pretreated with/without chemotherapeutics and IL-12 for 48 h) to Jurkat cells was measured by Flow cytometry. Results: Chemotherapeutics significantly inhibited the production of IFN-γ, TNF-α and the expression of TRAILin NK cells, which were significantly reversed by IL-12 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Further study revealed that chemotherapeutics down-regulated while IL-12 reversed the expression of p-STAT4 to restore cytokine production. In addition, DDP also inhibited but IL-12 recovered the cytotoxicity of NK cells against tumor cells by inducing the expression of TRAIL (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion: Chemotherapeutics inhibited the cytotoxicity of NK cells and its secretion of cytokines (IFNγ and TNF-α), which were reversed by IL-12 via up-regulating TRAIL and p-STAT-4; this might provide experimental evidence for the clinical application of IL-12 for rebuild the immune function of tumor patients receiving chemotherapy.