title: Comparison of Epstein-Barr virus DNA level in plasma, peripheral blood cell and tumor tissue in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV-DNA) level has been found to be an indicator for staging and prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The EBV-DNA level in plasma, peripheral blood cells (PBC) and neoplastic tissues was quantitatively analyzed and potential associations with clinical parameters of NPC were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma EBV-DNA detecting rate and level in NPC (92%, 82,500 copies/ml) was significantly higher than that in NPC after treatment (19%, 0 copy/ml) and in controls (12%, 0 copy/ml) (p < 0.001); while there was no significance of the PBC EBV-DNA detecting rate and EBV-DNA load in NPC before (24%, 0 copy/actin) and after treatment (14%, 0 copy/actin), and in controls (16%, 0 copy/actin). The plasma EBV-DNA level was not correlated to the PBC EBV-DNA load in NPC before (p = 0.92) and after treatment (p = 0.267), and in controls (p = 0.735). The EBV-DNA level in NPC tumor (27.8 copies/actin) was significantly higher than that in nasopharyngitis and was positively correlated to the ratio of EBER1-positive cells on the NPC section (p = 0.001). The plasma EBV-DNA level was significantly increased in TNM stages I, II, III and IV NPC, whereas there was no significant difference of PBC EBV-DNA load in different stage NPC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that plasma EBV-DNA is a more sensitive and reliable biomarker than PBC EBV-DNA for diagnosis, staging and therapeutic effect evaluation at a molecular level in NPC clinical practice. Plasma EBV-DNA may derive from the cancer cells and PBC EBV-DNA from circulating mononuclear cells in NPC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P R China. jyshao@gzsums.edu.cn
authors.forename: Jian-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hui-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Qiu-Liang
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Nian-Ji
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li-Fu
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ingemar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ernberg
authors.forename: Yi-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; D012367:RNA, Viral