Epstein-Barr virus infection in gliomas.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been involved in the development of some tumors, including Burkitt's lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, its potential role in glioma tumorigenesis remains debated. In this study, we investigated the EBV infection in gliomas from Tunisian patients.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
We conducted a retrospective study of 112 gliomas on archival material. The EBV DNA sequence was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) was detected by immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization was used to detect EBV encoded small RNA (EBER). Clinicopathological features were recorded. Survival analysis was carried out using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-Rank test to compare EBV-positive and EBV-negative patients.


RESULTS
Overall, there were twenty-four EBV-positive gliomas (21.4%). EBV DNA was identified in 24 cases. LMP1 and EBER were detected in four EBV DNA-positive cases. All EBV-positive cases were glioblastomas multiforme (GBM). Median overall survival and recurrence-free survival of EBV-negative patients were better than those of EBV-positive patients (Log Rank p =  0.006).


CONCLUSION
Altogether, these findings support the occurrence of EBV infection in Tunisian GBM. Furthermore, when compared to EBV-negative tumors, EBV infection seems to be associated with the worst patient prognosis. Advanced molecular studies are recommended to confirm these results and to shed further light on the potential role of EBV in these devastating tumors.
['Limam|S|S|', 'Missaoui|N|N|', 'Mestiri|S|S|', 'Yacoubi|M T|MT|', 'Krifa|H|H|', 'Selmi|B|B|', 'Mokni|M|M|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D001932:Brain Neoplasms D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections D005260:Female D005910:Glioma D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D060787:Neoplasm Grading D011379:Prognosis D012189:Retrospective Studies D014416:Tunisia D055815:Young Adult
Glioma EBV Tumorigenesis Glioblastoma Prognosis