Analysis of expression of selected immune genes in EBV⁺vs EBV⁻CHL. (A) Expression of 60 candidate immune-related genes, assessed with multiplex qRT-PCR. Horizontal dotted line, P value = .10, determined with a 2-sided Welch t test. Vertical dotted lines, 1.7-fold difference in expression magnitude, comparing EBV⁺ vs EBV⁻ Hodgkin lymphomas (n = 8 and n = 13, respectively). Data are normalized to PTPRC (CD45, pan leukocyte marker). Similar results were obtained with GUSB normalization (see supplemental Table 1). (B) Expression of select genes involved in the Th17 pathway, detected with qRT-PCR in EBV⁺ and EBV⁻ CHL specimens. The y-axis represents cycle threshold (Ct); lower values indicate greater gene expression. Gene expression values with Ct = 40 were considered to be undetectable. Each symbol identifies the average of triplicate PCR reactions for a distinct tumor specimen. Horizontal bars, mean values. *Genes with P value ≤.10 and fold change ≥2 when Ct results were normalized to expression of either PTPRC or GUSB (see supplemental Table 2). P values determined with a 1-sided Welch t test. Results visualized with GraphPad software (La Jolla, CA). CD5L and IL27p28 were significantly overexpressed in EBV⁺ CHL.