Detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.
The polymerase chain reaction method for amplification of DNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections was used to detect Epstein-Barr virus DNA in nasopharyngeal carcinomas from Japanese patients. Thirty-one cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 8 cases of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were studied. Detection rates of Epstein-Barr virus in various types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma according to the World Health Organization classification were as follows: 10 of 10 undifferentiated carcinomas, 8 of 13 nonkeratinizing carcinomas, and 5 of 7 keratinizing carcinomas. Eight lymph node metastases, for which the primary was positive for Epstein-Barr virus, also contained Epstein-Barr virus DNA. By in situ hybridization using a biotinylated Epstein-Barr virus probe, it was clearly demonstrated that Epstein-Barr virus DNA was localized in the nuclei of the neoplastic cells. The clinical features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with or without Epstein-Barr virus were not different. These results demonstrate that nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Japanese patients is closely associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection, similar to nasopharyngeal carcinoma of other endemic and nonendemic areas.
Akao
I
I
Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Sato
Y
Y
Mukai
K
K
Uhara
H
H
Furuya
S
S
Hoshikawa
T
T
Shimosato
Y
Y
Takeyama
I
I
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral