Esophageal cancer in Germany is associated with Epstein-Barr-virus but not with papillomaviruses.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinomas ( n=23) and adenocarcinomas ( n=14) from German patients were tested for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) DNA. No DNA for either genital HPV or epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated HPV was detected in any tumor. In contrast, 35% of squamous cell carcinomas and 36% of adenocarcinomas were shown to contain EBV DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction.
Awerkiew
S
S
Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, Germany. Sabine.Awerkiew@medizin.uni-koeln.de
Bollschweiler
E
E
Metzger
R
R
Schneider
P M
PM
Hölscher
A H
AH
Pfister
H
H
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000821:virology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000821:virology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction