EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS GENOMES IN UNDIFFERENTIATED AND SQUAMOUS-CELL NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMAS IN ITALIAN PATIENTS

Although undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) and squamous cell carcinoma ( SCC) of the nasopharynx are regarded as two distinct histopathologic a nd clinical entities, it is unclear whether, like UC, SCC carries Epst ein-Barr virus (EBV) genomes. We used the polymerase chain reaction (P CR) on paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens to test for the presence of EBV DNA in 20 cases of UC and 9 cases of SCC. Multiple copies of the v iral genome were regularly detected in all UCs; however, of the nine c ases of SCC, seven had no detectable EBV DNA and two contained viral g enomes in a low copy number. In parallel, a marked difference in the s erum levels of anti-EBV antibodies between patients with UC and SCC wa s found. Our findings provide evidence for the specific association of EBV with UC in Italian patients and prove by means of a highly sensit ive molecular technique that SCC is occasionally related to EBV DNA. B ecause of the absence of EBV DNA in most cases of SCC and the minimal viral DNA copy number in the few EBV-associated cases of SCC, a differ ent pathway of oncogenic transformation and growth of the nasopharynge al epithelium is suggested for SCC and UC.