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Epstein-barr virus association is rare in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

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Abstract

Background. A critical role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma is strongly suspected. We analyzed the possible EBV association for Japanese squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-dominant esophageal cancer cases.

Methods. We retrospectively screened 36 surgically resected esophageal cancer lesions from 36 patients maily with SCC using in situ hybridization (ISH) for EBV-encoded small RNA1 (EBER-1). EBV DNA analysis using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) was performed for three recent cases.

Results. We found no EBER-1-positive cancer cell in any tested esophageal cancer lesion. There were many EBER-1-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the basaloid SCC lesion and a small number of positive lymphocytes in the other five advanced SCC lesions (14.7% of SCC). One SCC lesion with a highcopy number of EBV DNA had EBER-1-positive lymphocytes.

Conclusions. EBV is rarely associated with esophageal SCC, and may appear through tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in some advanced lesions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, 755-8505, Yamaguchi, Japan

    Hideo Yanai, Atsuyoshi Hirano, Tomoharu Yoshida & Kiwamu Okita

  2. Hofu Institute of Gastroenterology, Hofu, Japan

    Keisuke Matsusaki, Toyokazu Kawano & Osamu Miura

  3. Department of Virology, Division of Medical Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan

    Norio Shimizu

Authors
  1. Hideo Yanai
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  2. Atsuyoshi Hirano
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  3. Keisuke Matsusaki
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  4. Toyokazu Kawano
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  5. Osamu Miura
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  6. Tomoharu Yoshida
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  7. Kiwamu Okita
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  8. Norio Shimizu
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Correspondence to Hideo Yanai.

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Yanai, H., Hirano, A., Matsusaki, K. et al. Epstein-barr virus association is rare in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Gastrointest Canc 33, 165–170 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1385/IJGC:33:2-3:165

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/IJGC:33:2-3:165

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