In situ hybridization using EBERs and BHLF
oligonucleotide probes and immunohistochemistry using
monoclonal antibodies against LMP1, EBNA2, BZLF1
protein, p53
protein and bcl-2
protein were performed on 56 primary
nasopharyngeal carcinomas. EBERs was detected in 46 cases (82%), and LMP in 17 cases (30%), but EBNA2 was not detected. While 30 of 32 cases (94%) in differentiated non-keratinizing
carcinoma (NKC) and 16 of 17 cases (94%) in
undifferentiated carcinoma (UNPC) showed EBERs, neither 5 cases of
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) nor 2 cases of
adenocarcinoma showed EBERs. This finding confirms
latent infection of EBV, especially phenotypical latency II, in NKC and UNPC but not in SCC. Bcl-2
protein was positive in 50 cases (89%), but its expression did not depend on expression of LMP1, which did not demonstrate induction of bcl-2 by LMP1 as seen in vitro. Cytoplasmic BZLF1 expression was detected in 18 cases (32%) whereas BHLF was positive only in 6 cases (11%). This suggests dysfunction of BZLF1, which disrupts viral latency despite its expression. p53
protein was positive in 31 cases (55%), and there was a distinct correlation between expression of BZLF1 and p53
protein (p < 0.001). This suggests that the interaction between BZLF1
protein and p53
protein, which inactivate each other, is one of the tumorigenic factors in NPC.