Relationship between the Epstein-Barr virus genome and nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Caucasian patients.
In order to explore whether undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) shows a regular association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), regardless of the geographical and ethnic origin of the patient, a correlated histopathological and nucleic acid hybridization study was performed on biopsies from Caucasian patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas and from various controls. Among 12 undifferentiated NPCs, 11 were positive for EBV-DNA, with multiple copies of the viral genome per cell. Serological tests showed elevated anti-VCA and anti-EA(DA) titers. Six NPCs with various degrees of squamous differentiation, four malignant lymphomas of the nasopharynx and seven carcinomas located outside the nasopharynx were EBV-DNA negative. These findings further stress the uniqueness and regularity of the association between EBV-DNA and undifferentiated NPC. Clearly, the association extends over geographical barriers and holds true not only in the previously studied, moderate-incidence African ethnic group, but also in the low-incidence Western patients.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D044465:White People
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral