[Interaction between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gene expression and antibodies to EBV in nasopharyngeal carcinomas]

In situ hybridization using EBERs and BHLF oligonucleotide probes and immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against LMP1, EBNA2, BZLF1 protein, p53 protein and bcl-2 protein were performed on 56 primary nasopharyngeal carcinomas. EBERs was detected in 46 cases (82%), and LMP in 17 cases (30%), but EBNA2 was not detected. While 30 of 32 cases (94%) in differentiated non-keratinizing carcinoma (NKC) and 16 of 17 cases (94%) in undifferentiated carcinoma (UNPC) showed EBERs, neither 5 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) nor 2 cases of adenocarcinoma showed EBERs. This finding confirms latent infection of EBV, especially phenotypical latency II, in NKC and UNPC but not in SCC. Bcl-2 protein was positive in 50 cases (89%), but its expression did not depend on expression of LMP1, which did not demonstrate induction of bcl-2 by LMP1 as seen in vitro. Cytoplasmic BZLF1 expression was detected in 18 cases (32%) whereas BHLF was positive only in 6 cases (11%). This suggests dysfunction of BZLF1, which disrupts viral latency despite its expression. p53 protein was positive in 31 cases (55%), and there was a distinct correlation between expression of BZLF1 and p53 protein (p < 0.001). This suggests that the interaction between BZLF1 protein and p53 protein, which inactivate each other, is one of the tumorigenic factors in NPC.