Demonstration of Epstein-Barr virus in odontogenic and nonodontogenic tumors by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Background. Although considerable insight has been gamed into Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as an important etiologic factor in various tumors, virtually l ittle is known about the relationship between EBV genes and oral tumors. Method: Thirty-two cases of nonodontogenic tumor (16 squamous cell carcinom as, 11 salivary gland tumors, 1 malignant lymphoma, 1 spindle cell sarcoma, 1 osteogenic sarcoma, 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma and 1 verrucous car cinoma), 17 cases of odontogenic tumor (17 ameloblastomas, the most importa nt and common type of odontogenic tumor) and 12 cases of normal oral tissue (8 normal gingival tissues and other oral mucosa) were examined for the pr esence of EBV-DNA, with primers specific for the BamW, BNRF1, BMLF1, BamC, IR3, BMRF1, EBNA-2A BamhY and EBNA-2B BamhY region of the EBV genome by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Fifty-three percent (17/32) of nonodontogenic tumors, forty-eight percent (8/17) of ameloblastomas, and ninety-two percent (11/12) of normal oral tissues were positive for EBV-DNA. Of the EBV-DNA, BMLF1 demonstrated the strongest reactivity in the nonodontogenic tumors, and BamC demonstrate d the strongest reactivity in the ameloblastomas and normal oral mucosae. Conclusions: Taken into account with the expression of different EBV genes in odontogenic and nonodontogenic tumors, these findings suggest that even though odontogenic tumors and nonodontogenic tumors are relatively unique, the appearance of different EBV genes seems to suggest the complicated role s that the EBV genes play.