title: Detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uhara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshikawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimosato
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takeyama
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral