title: Epstein-Barr virus DNA quantification and follow-up in Tunisian nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
abstract: The prognostic value of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load in sera of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients measured before any treatment, after treatment and before relapse was assessed. The real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the viral load levels among 74 NPC subjects. Patients were followed up for a period going from 1 to 6 years (median 4 years). Before treatment, the EBV DNA load was correlated with lymph node involvement and advanced stages. After treatment, the viral load level declined significantly and patients presenting a viral load level lower than 1000 copies/ml showed a better overall survival (OS). Moreover, a significant result was found when the 6-year OS rates of patients having fewer or more than 15,000 copies/ml of viral load before relapse were compared. These results suggest that the EBV DNA load quantification after treatment may be a useful predictor of disease progression and survival.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immuno-Oncology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Monastir University, Monastir, Tunisia. elham.hassen@isbm.rnu.tn
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hassen
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Farhat
authors.forename: Sallouha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabbouj
authors.forename: Noureddine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bouaouina
authors.forename: Hamdi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdelaziz
authors.forename: Lotfi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chouchane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis; D014416:Tunisia; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004279:DNA, Viral