Clinical implications of hepatitis B viral infection in Epstein-Barr virus-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the clinical implication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in patients with newly-diagnosed NPC with HBV infection.


METHODS
A total of 722 patients with pathologically-diagnosed NPC who received comprehensive treatment at First People's Hospital of Foshan between June 2006 and December 2011 were enrolled in this retrospective study; 79 and 643 patients were HBsAg(+) and HBsAg(-), respectively. The correlations between HBV (HBsAg status and HBV DNA load) and EBV DNA were analyzed, further long-term survival and prognostic factors also were explored.


RESULTS
We reported NPC patients with HBsAg(+) represented worse outcome, and distant-failure especially liver metastasis was more common in these patients. HBV infection was more frequent in younger patients and male patients. No correlation was observed between the pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA load (cutoff, 1500 copies/ml) and HBsAg status (positive or negative; r=-0.036, P=0.392), or the pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA load and HBV DNA load (r = 0.042, P = 0823).


CONCLUSIONS
Both HBV and EBV infection is an independent negative prognostic factor for long-term survival, distant metastasis, especially liver metastasis, was more common in NPC patients with HBsAg(+), and it seemed no link between EBV DNA load and HBsAg status in NPC.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, PR China; Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Tao
T
Xu
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Zeli
Z
Huang
Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Yanming
Y
Deng
Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Sumei
S
Wang
Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Bojin
B
Su
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Weihong
W
Wei
Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Donghui
D
Wang
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Jun
J
Jiang
Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Anfei
A
Li
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Guoyi
G
Zhang
Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, PR China. Electronic address: hlyangsums@hotmail.com.
Huiling
H
Yang
Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Experimental Therapeutics Academic Program and Cancer Biology Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: fxclaret@mdanderson.org.
François X
FX
Claret
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, PR China. Electronic address: huwh@sysucc.org.cn.
Weihan
W
Hu
D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Clinical characteristics; Epstein–Barr virus; Hepatitis B virus; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Prognosis