ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in tissue blocks obtained from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin wax processed NPC tissue were obtained from 150 tissue blocks and retrospectively investigated for the presence of HCMV using polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Of the 150 NPC tissue specimens, HCMV was identified in 53/150 (35.3%) of the samples. Out of the 53 samples infected with HCMV, 33/97 (34%) were among males and 20/53 (37.7%) were among females. Of the 53 positive samples, 36/53 (68%) were found to harbor Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). CONCLUSION: The present study has shown a relatively considerable association between HCMV and NPC. The great majority of samples sheltering HCMV were also found to hide EBV, which proposes the potentiality of EBV over HCMV.
