The nucleotide polymorphisms within the Epstein-Barr virus C and Q promoters from nasopharyngeal carcinoma affect transcriptional activity in vitro.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human gamma herpesvirus that is associated with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), gastric carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and NK/T-cell lymphoma. Two viral promoters, Cp and Qp, are important for EBV latent infection. The latency Cp, which is used in primary infection, drives expression of the full spectrum of EBV nuclear antigens.

Heat shock factor 1 upregulates transcription of Epstein-Barr Virus nuclear antigen 1 by binding to a heat shock element within the BamHI-Q promoter.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is essential for maintenance of the episome and establishment of latency. In this study, we observed that heat treatment effectively induced EBNA1 transcription in EBV-transformed B95-8 and human LCL cell lines. Although Cp is considered as the sole promoter used for the expression of EBNA1 transcripts in the lymphoblastoid cell lines, the RT-PCR results showed that the EBNA1 transcripts induced by heat treatment arise from Qp-initiated transcripts.

Detection of Stage I nasopharyngeal carcinoma by serologic screening and clinical examination.

In a prospective study, 42 048 adults residing in Zhongshan City, Guangdong, China, were followed for 16 years, and 171 of them developed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels of the cohort fluctuated, the antibody levels of 93% of the patients with NPC were raised and maintained at high levels for up to 10 years prior to diagnosis. This suggests that the serologic window affords an opportunity to monitor tumor progression during the preclinical stage of NPC development, facilitating early NPC detection.

Nasopharyngeal extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type: retrospective study of 18 consecutive cases in Guangzhou, China.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and clinicopathologic features of nasopharyngeal extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (NKTCL), as well as DNA sequence variation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in neoplastic cells harboring in NKTCLs from Guangzhou district.

Materials And Methods: The clinical data of 18 unselected consecutive nasopharyngeal NKTCLs in one institution were reviewed retrospectively. Immunohistochemical staining and EBV-encoded RNAs (EBERs) in situ hybridization were applied.

[Six anti-Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in healthy adults in a high risk area of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Background And Objective: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), with a remarkable geographic distribution, is consistently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and almost all NPC patients have sustained high levels of serum antibodies against EBV. This study was to compare the levels of six anti-EBV antibodies in healthy natives of Zhongshan (a high-incidence area of NPC) with those in provisional migrants from foreign provinces (low-incidence areas of NPC), and to illustrate the relationship between EBV infection and the geographic distribution of NPC.

Methods: The serum levels of EBNA1-IgA, EBNA1-IgG, VCA-p18-IgA, VCA-p18-IgG, Zta-IgA and Zta-IgG in 303 healthy Zhongshan natives and 92 provisional migrants were tested using ELISA, and presented by values of adjusted relative absorbance (ArA).

Clinicopathologic features and Epstein-Barr virus infection status of Burkitt's lymphoma in Guangzhou district.

Background And Objective: Sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma (sBL) is uncommon and its relation to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is unknown in China. This study was to investigate the clinical presentation, morphologic features, immunophenotype and EBV infection status of sBL in Guangzhou district, a prevalent area of EBV infection.

Methods: The clinical data of 21 sBL patients were reviewed.

Correlation of immunophenotype of sinonasal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Background & Objective: There are differences in the prevalence rate and composition of immunophenotypes of sinonasal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) depending on the geography. This study was to investigate the immunophenotypes of sinonasal NHLs and their relationship to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in Guangzhou, China.

Methods: Fifty-seven NHL samples of the sinonasal region were collected from the Department of Pathology, Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Apr.

[Study of sequence variations of Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To detect the sequence variations frequently found within the N- and C-terminal regions of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) LMP1 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to study the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Fresh tumor tissues were sampled from 63 patients with untreated NPC encountered in Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou. The N-terminal region of EBV LMP1 gene was amplified with nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by XhoI enzyme digestion.

Epstein-Barr virus serology in early detection and screening of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common cancer among Chinese, especially Southern Chinese; except for a few other ethnic groups with moderate incidence, it is otherwise a rare cancer in the world. NPC has a male dominance of about 3:1 and mainly afflicts people in mid-life. There is now compelling evidences to suggest that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a category I human tumor virus defined by UICC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) in 1997, is a causal agent of NPC and is most likely to be involved in the multi-step and multi-factorial development of NPC.

Epstein-Barr virus infection in precursor lesions of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background & Objective: The infiltrating neoplastic cells within early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are consistently infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The precursor lesions could often be found in paracancerous epithelium of early-stage NPC. This study was to investigate the role of EBV infection and the intrahost evolution of EBV genotype developed in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis through detection of EBV harboring in precursor lesions.

[Value of EBNA1-IgA and EA-IgG in serological diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the value of EBNA1-IgA and EA-IgG in serological diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: The serum EBNA1-IgA and EA-IgG of 56 patients with NPC and 58 healthy adults were detected by ELISA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, accuracy rate and odds ratio of the two tests used singly or in combination were compared with each other.

[Effect of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) on expression of MMP-2,MMP-9,and IL-8 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell strains].

Background & Objective: Although nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) shows highly invasive and metastatic features than other head and neck carcinomas, the major relevant mechanism is still unknown. This study was designed to investigate whether the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) can affect the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2, 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell strains.

Methods: Two nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell strains, CNE-1 and CNE-2 were adopted in this study.

[Analysis of Epstein-Barr virus with BamHI "f" variant and XhoI-loss of LMP1 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the genomic variation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and its significance in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis.

Methods: Forty nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) biopsy tissues were used for detection of EBV BamHI f variant and LMP1 XhoI-loss by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nested PCR, and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism). Forty-eight samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) taken from apparently healthy adult individuals were used for detection of LMP1 XhoI-loss.

Loss of an XhoI-site within N-terminal region of Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background & Objective: It is well known that Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) LMP1 gene is involved in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis. This research was designed to investigate the loss of an Xho I-site within the N-terminus of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) latent membrane protein 1(LMP1) gene isolated from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Guangdong for further understanding the sequence variation of LMP1 gene involved in carcinogenesis.

Methods: Sixty-three fresh nasopharyngeal biopsies taken from the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were collected in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University.

[Comparison of the Epstein-Barr virus infection and 30 bp-deleted LMP1 gene among 4 histologic types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To compare the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection rates and the frequencies of wt-LMP1 and del-LMP1 EBV variants detected singly or dually among the four types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to illustrate the possible role of del-LMP1 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis.

Methods: EBER in situ hybridization was performed in 117 NPCs, including 48 non-keratinizing carcinomas (NKCs), 25 keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas (KSCCs), 5 adenosquamous carcinomas (ASCs), 6 mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) and 33 adenocarcinomas (ACs). Nested PCR for demonstration of EBV LMP1 gene was performed on the tissue samples collected from 99 EBER-positive carcinoma cases and the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 53 healthy adults (HAs).

Study on sero-diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using a dual antibody test against recombinant Epstein-Barr virus antigens.

Background & Objective: The aim of this study was to optimize a dual-antibody assay for sero-diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) by evaluating 4 Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) antigen-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays(ELISAs).

Methods: The serum samples of 57 pretreated NPC patients and 58 apparently healthy adults in Guangzhou were collected. The levels of anti-EBV antibody in the sera were tested by 4 ELISAs, which were developed using fusion proteins of glutathione transferase and EBV specific recombinant antigens, namely, EBNA1-IgA, EBNA1-IgG, Zta-IgA, and Zta-IgG.

[Primary adenoid cystic carcinoma of the nasopharynx and its relation to Epstein-Barr virus infection].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of primary nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NPACC) and its relation to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in Guangzhou where is a high-incidence area of EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: 17 cases of NPACC with clinical record and biopsy samples were collected in Guangzhou and their clinical manifestations were reviewed. Besides HE, Alcian blue and PAS, LSAB immunohistochemistry was performed for detecting the expression of a variety of epithelial markers, CD21 and EBV encoded LMP1.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of primary nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma].

Background & Objective: The primary nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma (NPAC) is rare. This study was designed to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of primary NPAC.

Methods: A series of carcinoma biopsies taken from the nasopharynx of the patients followed at Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University were reviewed during 24 years.

[Advancement of studying the biological characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis].

This review is to summarize the main achievements of studying the biological characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis performed by the authors' research team and the recent advancement in this field during the past 5 years as well as to explain the authors' viewpoints concerning the nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis. In order to study the nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis, more than 20,000 nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies and more than 600 nasopharyngeal biopsies of Epstein-Barr virus seropositive persons who had been got follow-up over 12 years, were collected. In addition, nude mice and cell lines were also to be utilized.

Assessing the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma on the basis of EBV antibody spectrum.

We have evaluated the performance of 3 new EBV ELISA for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The tests were specific for EBNA 1 IgA, EBNA 1 IgG and zta IgG, respectively. Their distinct antigenic specificity permits these assays to be used in concert in an approach that differentiates patients and apparently healthy subjects on the basis of their antibody spectrum.