Review

Epstein-Barr virus infection in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

G Niedobitek¹

¹ Institute for Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Krankenhausstr. 8–10, 91054 Erlangen, Germany

Correspondence to:
Dr Niedobitek gerald.niedobitek{at}patho.imed.uni-erlangen.de

The association of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was firmly established as early as 1973. Nevertheless, the role for the virus in the pathogenesis of NPC is still controversial. In this article, the evidence implicating EBV in the development of NPC is reviewed, focusing on the cellular site of EBV persistence, the association of the virus with different NPC histotypes, the tumour cell phenotype in the context of viral latent gene expression, and the possible role of the lymphoid stroma.

Key Words: Epstein-Barr virus • nasopharyngeal carcinoma • viral latent gene expression

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Tsai, C.-L., Li, H.-P., Lu, Y.-J., Hsueh, C., Liang, Y., Chen, C.-L., Tsao, S. W., Tse, K.-P., Yu, J.-S., Chang, Y.-S. (2006). Activation of DNA Methyltransferase 1 by EBV LMP1 Involves c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase Signaling. Cancer Res. 66: 11668-11676 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tai, A. K., Lin, M., Chang, F., Chen, G., Hsiao, F., Sutkowski, N., Huber, B. T. (2006). Murine Vbeta3+ and Vbeta7+ T Cell Subsets Are Specific Targets for the HERV-K18 Env Superantigen.. J. Immunol. 177: 3178-3184 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Straathof, K. C., Leen, A. M., Buza, E. L., Taylor, G., Huls, M. H., Heslop, H. E., Rooney, C. M., Bollard, C. M. (2005). Characterization of Latent Membrane Protein 2 Specificity in CTL Lines from Patients with EBV-Positive Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Lymphoma. J. Immunol. 175: 4137-4147 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Le, Q.-T., Jones, C. D., Yau, T.-K., Shirazi, H. A., Wong, P. H., Thomas, E. N., Patterson, B. K., Lee, A. W.M., Zehnder, J. L. (2005). A Comparison Study of Different PCR Assays in Measuring Circulating Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Levels in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Clin. Cancer Res. 11: 5700-5707 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Stevens, S. J. C., Verkuijlen, S. A. W. M., Hariwiyanto, B., Harijadi, , Fachiroh, J., Paramita, D. K., Tan, I. B., Haryana, S. M., Middeldorp, J. M. (2005). Diagnostic Value of Measuring Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA Load and Carcinoma-Specific Viral mRNA in Relation to Anti-EBV Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG Antibody Levels in Blood of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients from Indonesia. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 3066-3073 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Stambuk, H. E., Patel, S. G., Mosier, K. M., Wolden, S. L., Holodny, A. I. (2005). Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Recognizing the Radiographic Features in Children. Am. J. Neuroradiol. 26: 1575-1579 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Straathof, K. C. M., Bollard, C. M., Popat, U., Huls, M. H., Lopez, T., Morriss, M. C., Gresik, M. V., Gee, A. P., Russell, H. V., Brenner, M. K., Rooney, C. M., Heslop, H. E. (2005). Treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with Epstein-Barr virus-specific T lymphocytes. Blood 105: 1898-1904 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhang, L., Zhang, J., Lambert, Q., Der, C. J., Del Valle, L., Miklossy, J., Khalili, K., Zhou, Y., Pagano, J. S. (2004). Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 Is Associated with Epstein-Barr Virus-Transformed Central Nervous System Lymphoma and Has Oncogenic Properties. J. Virol. 78: 12987-12995 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cheung, H. W., Ling, M.-t., Tsao, S. W., Wong, Y.C., Wang, X. (2004). Id-1-induced Raf/MEK pathway activation is essential for its protective role against taxol-induced apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Carcinogenesis 25: 881-887 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Straathof, K. C.M., Bollard, C. M., Rooney, C. M., Heslop, H. E. (2003). Immunotherapy for Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Cancers in Children. The Oncologist 8: 83-98 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lu, J., Chua, H.-H., Chen, S.-Y., Chen, J.-Y., Tsai, C.-H. (2003). Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 by Epstein-Barr Virus Proteins. Cancer Res. 63: 256-262 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gius, D., Coleman, C. N. (2002). Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Cancer: Raising the "Barr". JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 94: 1594-1595 [Full Text]  
• Sze Wong, T., Wen Chang, H., Chi Tang, K., Ignace Wei, W., Lai Wen Kwong, D., Shun Tong Sham, J., Po Wing Yuen, A., Lam Kwong, Y. (2002). High Frequency of Promoter Hypermethylation of the Death-associated Protein-Kinase Gene in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Its Detection in the Peripheral Blood of Patients. Clin. Cancer Res. 8: 433-437 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Murray, P G, Young, L S (2000). Themed issue: the biology and pathology of the Epstein-Barr virus. Mol. Pathol. 53: 219-221 [Full Text]