title: Association of Epstein Barr virus infection (EBV) with breast cancer in rural Indian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting females worldwide but conventional risk factors are able to explain only a small proportion of these cases. A possible viral etiology for breast cancer has been proposed and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a widely researched candidate virus. The aim of the present study, first one of its kind from India, was to determine if there is a greater association of EBV infection with breast cancer patients as compared to patients with benign breast diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We looked for expression of Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA-1) in breast cancer tissue specimens by employing immunohistochemistry (IHC). We also measured levels of anti-EBNA-1 Immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies in stored sera of these patients using commercial Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Patients with benign breast diseases were used as a comparison group for both immunohistochemical and serological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  58 cases of malignant breast disease and 63 of benign breast disease (controls) were included in the study. Using manufacturer determined cut-off of 3 IU/ml, 50/55 tested (90.9%) cases and 27/33 tested (81.8%) controls were seropositive for anti-EBNA-1 IgG. Mean antibody levels were significantly higher for cases (54.22 IU/ml) as compared to controls (18.68 IU/ml). IHC for EBNA-1 was positive in 28/51 cases (54.9%). No IHC positivity was noted in the tested 30 controls. Our results show that EBNA-1 expression is seen in a significant proportion of breast cancer tissue specimens from rural India and as compared to patients with benign breast diseases these patients also have a higher immunological response against EBNA-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Deepti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Munira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quadri
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gangane
authors.forename: Rajnish
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gangane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D012098:Reproduction; D012424:Rural Population
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; C417029:EBV-encoded nuclear antigen 1