Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genes expression in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer: A comparative study with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection

To elucidate a causative role of Epstein;Barr virus (EBV) for cervical canc er, presence and expression of EBV genes were examined in 31 cervical carci nomas (ICC), 23 cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN), and 35 normal ce rvices (NCX). In reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) a nalysis, EBER-1 mRNA was expressed in 74% (23/31) of ICC, 83% (19/23) of GI N, 37% (13/35) of NCX. LMP-1 was expressed in 52% (16/31) of ICC, 70% (16/2 3) of CIN, and 23% (8/35) of NCX and EBNA-2 was expressed in 32% (10/31) of ICC, in 48% (11/23) of GIN, and in 11% (4/35) of NCX. Expression rates of these genes were significantly higher in ICC and CIN than in NCX (P < .05). RNA in situ hybridization analysis showed that EBER-1 was expressed in hal f (7/14) of ICC and 35% (6/17) of GIN, and BamH-W, which is a leader sequen ce of EBNA genes, was expressed in 86% (12/14) of ICC and 71% (12/17) of GI N. LMP-I and EBNA-2 proteins also were detected in ICC and CIN cells by imm unofluorescence staining. PCR analysis showed that EBV genome was detected in 55% (17 of 31) of ICC and in 26% (9/35) of NCX. In contrast, human papil lomavirus (HPV) DNA was detected in 84% (26/31) of ICC, whereas none of NCX had HPV DNA. Either EBV or HPV was detected in 61% (19/31) of ICC, whereas both EBV and HPV was detected in 39% (12/31) of ICC. EBV infection may be involved in the development of cervical cancer, although further study shou ld be performed to elucidate a causative role of EBV for the cancer. Copyri ght (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.