Development of a non-invasive method, multiplex methylation specific PCR (MMSP), for early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Increasing evidence demonstrated that inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) by aberrant promoter methylation is an early event during carcinogenesis. Aiming at developing early diagnostic or prognostic tools for various tumors, we took an EBV-associated tumor, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), as a model and developed a powerful assay based on "multiplex methylation specific-PCR (MMSP)". The MMSP assay was designed to detect tumor-specific methylation status of several NPC-related genes and was capable of acquiring multiplex information simultaneously through a single PCR reaction with the tiny tumor DNA derived from the direct body fluid close to the primary tumor.

Expression profiling of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded microRNAs from paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed primary Epstein-Barr virus-positive B-cell lymphoma samples.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is implicated in a range of B-cell malignancies and expresses unique microRNAs (EBV-miRNAs). Due to the requirements for high-quality RNA, studies profiling EBV-miRNA in EBV-positive lymphomas have been restricted to cell-lines or frozen samples. However, the most commonly available archived patient material is paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed (FFPE) tissue.

Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the elderly expresses EBNA3A with conserved CD8 T-cell epitopes.

Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) arise in the immunosuppressed and are frequently Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated. The most common PTLD histological sub-type is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (EBV+DLBCL-PTLD). Restoration of EBV-specific T-cell immunity can induce EBV+DLBCL-PTLD regression.

Expansion of EBNA1-specific effector T cells in posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders.

Immunosuppression resulting in impaired Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T-cell immunity is involved in the pathogenesis of EBV-positive post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV(+) PTLD). Restoration of EBV-specific T-cell immunity by adoptive immunotherapy can induce remission. EBV-nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) is unique in being expressed in all cases of EBV(+) PTLD.

Epstein-Barr virus genetic variation in Vietnamese patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: full-length analysis of LMP1.

Genetic variation in tumor virus genes and its impact on function might contribute to the understanding of geographic differences in risks for virus-associated tumors. This is particularly true for the genes known to contribute to the biology of the tumor. It is has been proposed that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gene variation has a role in the high risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in South-East Asia.

A major EBNA1 variant from Asian EBV isolates shows enhanced transcriptional activity compared to prototype B95.8.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) has an instrumental role in maintaining EBV latent infection by controlling EBV episome replication and regulating viral transcription. It is a ubiquitously expressed protein during latent viral infection and in EBV-associated tumors. The EBNA1 C-terminus interacts functionally with the Qp and Cp that control viral gene expression in latency I/II and III, respectively.

Inactivation of RASSF2A by promoter methylation correlates with lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

RASSF2 can bind directly to K-Ras and function as a negative effector of Ras protein. RASSF2A is the only isoform of RASSF2 that contains CpG islands in its promoter and it has been reported to be inactivated by its promoter methylation in several human cancers. In the present study, we investigated the correlation of RASSF2A expression with its promoter methylation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Aberrant methylation of CDH13 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma could serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker.

CDH13 encodes a cell adhesion molecule, H-cadherin. In this study, we examined CDH13 methylation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methylation specific PCR results showed that CDH13 was methylated in 20% (1/5) NPC cell lines, 100% (2/2) NPC xenografts and 89.