title: Epstein-Barr virus as a marker of biological aggressiveness in breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although a potential role of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of breast cancer (BC) has been underlined, results remain conflicting. Particularly, the impact of EBV infection on biological markers of BC has received little investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we established the frequency of EBV-infected BC using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) in 196 BC specimens. Biological and pathological characteristics according to EBV status were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EBV DNA was present in 65 of the 196 (33.2%) cases studied. EBV-positive BCs tended to be tumours with a more aggressive phenotype, more frequently oestrogen receptor negative (P=0.05) and with high histological grade (P=0.01). Overexpression of thymidine kinase activity was higher in EBV-infected BC (P=0.007). The presence of EBV was weakly associated with HER2 gene amplification (P=0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides evidence for EBV-associated BC undergoing distinct carcinogenic processes, with more aggressive features.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de transfert d'oncologie biologique, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille, France. chafika.mazouni@igr.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazouni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romain
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ouafik
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonnier
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brandone
authors.forename: P-M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D016679:Genome, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone