[The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in carcinogenesis of palatine tonsil carcinoma (PTC)].

OBJECTIVES

Casual link of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and endemically manifesting nasopharyngeal carcinoma has been already well documented. Our study, conducted in Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, aimed at examining whether EBV infection occurs also in patients with another tumor, palatine tonsil malignant neoplasms.

METHODS

The studies were performed on 20 patients, aged 32 to 80 years, in whom tonsil malignencies was diagnosed by histological methods. The treatment of choice was surgery. Sera of the patients was tested for EBV DNA (Sharp Signal System; Digene), IgM-anti-EBV antibodies (Behring), IgG-anti-EA antibodies (ETI-EA-G; Dia Sorin) and IgG-anti-VCA antibodies (ETI-VCA-G; Dia Sorin).

RESULTS

Serological exponents of reactivated EBV infection (serum IgG-anti-EA and IgG-anti-VCA antibodies) were observed in 12 patients. In parallel, ten of the patients demonstrated EBV DNA. In the remaining 8 patients, three manifested past EBV infection (positive IgG-anti-VCA) and five probed to be EBV negative.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated, that tonsil malignancies may be associated with EBV infection.