title: Epstein-Barr virus in the pathogenesis of oral cancers.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous gamma-herpesvirus that establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the oral cavity and is intermittently shed in the saliva. EBV exhibits a biphasic life cycle, supported by its dual tropism for B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, which allows the virus to be transmitted within oral lymphoid tissues. While infection is often benign, EBV is associated with a number of lymphomas and carcinomas that arise in the oral cavity and at other anatomical sites. Incomplete association of EBV in cancer has questioned if EBV is merely a passenger or a driver of the tumorigenic process. However, the ability of EBV to immortalize B cells and its prevalence in a subset of cancers has implicated EBV as a carcinogenic cofactor in cellular contexts where the viral life cycle is altered. In many cases, EBV likely acts as an agent of tumor progression rather than tumor initiation, conferring malignant phenotypes observed in EBV-positive cancers. Given that the oral cavity serves as the main site of EBV residence and transmission, here we review the prevalence of EBV in oral malignancies and the mechanisms by which EBV acts as an agent of tumor progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Tumor and Molecular Virology, and Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Guidry
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Tumor and Molecular Virology, and Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Birdwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Tumor and Molecular Virology, and Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3840-9189
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000821:virology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000821:virology; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000821:virology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000821:virology
keywords: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV); carcinoma; lymphoma; tumor