Molecular detection of Epstein-Barr Virus in breast cancer

ABSTRACT

The association of Epstein Barr virus [EBV] with breast carcinomas [BCs] is still in controversy. The aim of this study was to clarify the association of EBV and BC in Egyptian females and to assess its role as potential contributor to the development and behavioral alteration of BC. EBV-DNA was detected using PCR on breast tissue from 40 female patients with primary invasive BC; ductal [n=32] and lobular [n=8] and 20 age matched females undergoing reduction mammoplasties as control. EBV-DNA was detected in 8/40 [20%] BC specimens. On the other hand all control specimens were negative As regards prognostic factors, no association was observed between EBV-DNA and patients' age, menopausal status and steroid receptor expression. However, significant associations were detected between the presence of EBV-DNA and other poor prognostic factors. All of the EBV-DNA positive BC were significantly associated with positive nodal status, where 7/8 cases showed more than three tumor-positive LN involvement. In spite of the small number of invasive lobular carcinoma included in this study there was a significant correlation between this histological type of poor prognosis and EBV-DNA detection rate where 4/8 [50%] of them were positive for EBV-DNA compared to 4/32 [12.5%] detection rate in invasive ductal carcinoma. A significant correlation was found between EBV-DNA detection rate in BC and high tumor grade of invasive ductal carcinoma; [100%, 1/1] association with grade III versus [9.67%; 3/ 31] with grade II. Our results demonstrated the presence of the EBV genome in a considerable subset of BC in Egyptian patients. The virus was more frequently associated with bad prognostic factors. This indicates that EBV may play a role in the development and behavioral alteration of some aggressive BC