Clinical value of Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels in peripheral blood samples of Italian patients with undifferentiated carcinoma of nasopharyngeal type.
We investigated EBV viremia in matched serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from one of the largest Italian cohort of Undifferentiated Carcinoma of Nasopharyngeal Type (UCNT) patients (N=34). By using a LMP-1 real-time PCR assay, we found that EBV DNA detection rate was 74% (median 8417 copies/ml) and 24% (median 164 copies/10(6)cells) on serum and PBMCs, respectively. Significantly higher serum EBV DNA levels were detected in patients with advanced UCNT (nodal stage N2 versus N0-1 and N3 versus N0-1, P=0.03 and 0.018; overall stage IV versus I-II, P=0.03). During the follow-up, there was also a statistically significant difference of EBV DNA viral load between patients with and without clinical relapse (P=0.008). We concluded that serum EBV DNA reflects the biological activity of the UCNT and may be a prognostic factor also in a low-incidence region.
Bortolin
Maria Teresa
MT
Microbiology, Immunology and Virology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS, Via Pedemontana Occidentale, 12, Aviano (PN) 33081, Italy. micro@cro.it
Pratesi
Chiara
C
Dolcetti
Riccardo
R
Bidoli
Ettore
E
Vaccher
Emanuela
E
Zanussi
Stefania
S
Tedeschi
Rosamaria
R
De Paoli
Paolo
P
D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins