title: Latent sites of Epstein-Barr virus infection.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been detected in a wide spectrum of tumors. This study investigates the detection rate of EBV-DNA by Southern blot hybridization analysis (SOBH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in different tissues from persons without apparent EBV-related diseases. Of 20 tonsillectomy specimens studied, SOBH indicated positivity for EBV-DNA in 1 case, and PCR indicated positivity in 10. In autopsies performed on patients with no apparent evidence of EBV-related diseases, the viral DNA was only detected by PCR in the following: parotid gland (7/15), submandibular gland (8/20), nasopharynx (8/10), tonsil (8/10), larynx (5/6), lung (5/9), cervical lymph node (7/10), mediastinal lymph node (7/10), abdominal lymph node (4/10), spleen (6/10), thyroid (5/10), liver (1/10), pancreas (1/4), kidney (4/10), uterine cervix (1/4), ovary (1/5) and testis (1/3). These results provide a baseline for interpreting the role of EBV in carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital Compound, University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Loke
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pittaluga
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral