PREVALENCE OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS IN ORAL SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMAS, PREMALIGNANT LESIONS AND NORMAL MUCOSA - A STUDY USING THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) prevalence was assessed in 12 clinically norm al oral mucosas, nine premalignant lesions, 36 oral squamous cell carc inomas (OSCCs) and a human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 positive cell line, derived fi om an OSCC studied. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) wi th two pairs of primers with different sensitivities was used. With pr imers specific for the BamHIW repeat, EBV was found in 100% of OSCCs, in 77.8% of premalignant lesions and in 8.3% of clinically normal oral mucosas (P=0.0001). Using primers specific for the single copy BNLF-1 gene, EBV was detected in 50% of OSCC and in none of the premalignant lesions. No statistically significant associations could be establish ed among EBV presence and clinico-pathological data of OSCC. The cell line derived from an HPV/EBV-positive carcinoma did not reveal EBV DNA . The higher prevalence of EBV in OSCCs and premalignant lesions may b e due to increased EBV shedding, possibly due to associated immunodepr ession in these patients, rather than its clonal presence in the neopl astic cells. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.