Absence of Epstein-Barr virus in penile carcinoma. A study of 42 cases using in situ hybridization.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and carcinomas of the lower female genital tract has been the focus of some studies in recent years. However, the association between EBV and penile carcinoma never has been investigated. The aim of this study was to identify the possible role of EBV in penile carcinoma of Chinese patients.


METHODS
Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue of 42 cases of penile carcinoma (including 7 verrucous, 14 well differentiated, 15 moderately differentiated, and 6 poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas), 6 penile warts, and 9 normal penile samples were analyzed for EBV using in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA (EBER).


RESULTS
Epstein-Barr virus was only found in a few lymphocytes adjacent to the tumor epithelium in 12% (5 cases) of penile carcinoma. Conversely, the tumor cells, penile warts, and normal penile tissue were negative for EBV.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that EBV does not play a major role in the etiology of penile carcinoma.
Lam
K Y
KY
Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
Chan
A C
AC
Chan
K W
KW
Leung
M L
ML
Srivastava
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000382:microbiology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010412:Penile Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications
D012367:RNA, Viral