title: Clinical value of Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels in peripheral blood samples of Italian patients with undifferentiated carcinoma of nasopharyngeal type.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Immunology and Virology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS, Via Pedemontana Occidentale, 12, Aviano (PN) 33081, Italy. micro@cro.it
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bortolin
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pratesi
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dolcetti
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bidoli
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vaccher
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zanussi
authors.forename: Rosamaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Paoli
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins