Epstein-Barr virus association is rare in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
A critical role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma is strongly suspected. We analyzed the possible EBV association for Japanese squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-dominant esophageal cancer cases.


METHODS
We retrospectively screened 36 surgically resected esophageal cancer lesions from 36 patients mainly with SCC using in situ hybridization (ISH) for EBV-encoded small RNA1 (EBER-1). EBV DNA analysis using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) was performed for three recent cases.


RESULTS
We found no EBER-1-positive cancer cell in any tested esophageal cancer lesion. There were many EBER-1-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the basaloid SCC lesion and a small number of positive lymphocytes in the other five advanced SCC lesions (14.7% of SCC). One SCC lesion with a highcopy number of EBV DNA had EBER-1-positive lymphocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
EBV is rarely associated with esophageal SCC, and may appear through tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes in some advanced lesions.
Yanai
Hideo
H
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan. h.yanai@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
Hirano
Atsuyoshi
A
Matsusaki
Keisuke
K
Kawano
Toyokazu
T
Miura
Osamu
O
Yoshida
Tomoharu
T
Okita
Kiwamu
K
Shimizu
Norio
N
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D004279:DNA, Viral