Abstract
Background:
Nasopharyngeal cancer is commonly associated with EBV infection, especially the undifferentiated non keratinized histology. EBV DNA quantification through nasopharyngeal brushing was previously reported not related with disease stages. This study aimed to reinvestigate relationship of EBV viral load in tumor tissue with tumor extensiveness by more accurate EBV DNA quantification through microscopically confirmed tumor cells from nasopharyngeal biopsy.
Method:
The specimens for EBV DNA quantification was derived from histopathology slides which was pre-treated following QIAsymphony® SP Protocol for tissue DNA extraction. Then the extracted DNA underwent real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) using artus® EBV RG PCR Kit for EBV DNA quantification. The tumor volume was determined by delineating gross tumor based on 3D imaging of the patient’s nasopharynx.
Result:
Twenty-four subjects were included in this study. All subjects were stage III and above with more males (75%) than females. EBV viral load in tumor cells were found to have no correlation with tumor volume both in local and nodal. The median local tumor volume was 81.3 cm3 ± 80 cm3. The median EBV viral load in tumor cells was 95,644.8 copies/100ng of DNA ± 224,758.4 copies/100ng of DNA. The median nodal or regional tumor volume was 35.7 cm3 ± 73.63 cm3.
Conclusion:
EBV viral load from tumor cells from nasopharyngeal biopsy has no relationship with tumor extensiveness in nasopharyngeal cancer. The presence and number of EBV in tumor cells did not translate into larger or smaller tumor. The EBV viral proteins and RNAs were perhaps more likely to confer some prognostic information due to the facts that those molecules were related with carcinogenesis.
Nasopharyngeal cancer is commonly associated with EBV infection, especially the undifferentiated non keratinized histology. EBV DNA quantification through nasopharyngeal brushing was previously reported not related with disease stages. This study aimed to reinvestigate relationship of EBV viral load in tumor tissue with tumor extensiveness by more accurate EBV DNA quantification through microscopically confirmed tumor cells from nasopharyngeal biopsy.
Method:
The specimens for EBV DNA quantification was derived from histopathology slides which was pre-treated following QIAsymphony® SP Protocol for tissue DNA extraction. Then the extracted DNA underwent real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) using artus® EBV RG PCR Kit for EBV DNA quantification. The tumor volume was determined by delineating gross tumor based on 3D imaging of the patient’s nasopharynx.
Result:
Twenty-four subjects were included in this study. All subjects were stage III and above with more males (75%) than females. EBV viral load in tumor cells were found to have no correlation with tumor volume both in local and nodal. The median local tumor volume was 81.3 cm3 ± 80 cm3. The median EBV viral load in tumor cells was 95,644.8 copies/100ng of DNA ± 224,758.4 copies/100ng of DNA. The median nodal or regional tumor volume was 35.7 cm3 ± 73.63 cm3.
Conclusion:
EBV viral load from tumor cells from nasopharyngeal biopsy has no relationship with tumor extensiveness in nasopharyngeal cancer. The presence and number of EBV in tumor cells did not translate into larger or smaller tumor. The EBV viral proteins and RNAs were perhaps more likely to confer some prognostic information due to the facts that those molecules were related with carcinogenesis.
| Original language | English |
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| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Submitted - 11 Feb 2020 |
Keywords
- Epstein Barr Virus
- viral load
- nasopharyngeal cancer
- tumor extensiveness
- prognosis
