title: Detection of EBV in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by quantum dot fluorescent in situ hybridization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common cancer in Southeast Asia and is frequently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The primary aim of this study was to improve the method of EBV detection by exploring quantum dots in FISH detection, and compare QD-based FISH with conventional ISH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy specimens were retrospectively retrieved from 35 NPC patients as paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. QD-FISH was developed to detect the presence of EBV encoded small RNA (EBER) using biotin-labeled EBER oligonucleotide probe indirectly labeled with streptavidin-conjugated quantum dots. Conventional ISH was also performed using a commercial kit to assess concordance between the two methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the 35 NPC cases were nonkeratinizing carcinoma (7 differentiated and 28 undifferentiated subtypes). EBER-positive signals were detected in 91.43% (32/35) and 80% (28/35) cases by QD-FISH and ISH, respectively. There was no significant difference in the number of EBER-positive cases by the two methods. A moderate concordance was found between QD-FISH and ISH for EBER status (κ=0.55). Four EBER-negative cases by ISH showed EBER-positive signals when detected by QD-FISH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EBV is closely associated with NPC in Chinese patients. QD-FISH is a novel effective method for EBER detection, and has a moderate concordance with conventional ISH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, 430071 Wuhan, China. chenhongleiwh@126.com
authors.forename: Hong-lei
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Xiao-bo
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jing-ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Ming-wei
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: He-shun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000821:virology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral