Epstein-BARR virus detection in Vietnamese nasopharyngeal cancer patients based on BALF5 gene

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common cancer of head and neck cancers, with a high rate of cancer deaths in Vietnam. The infection of EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) has been indicated as one of the risk factors and plays an early event and important role in NPC. The purpose of the current study was to analyze the presence of EBV in NPC tumor in Vietnamese patients by PCR method through detection of the presence of BALF5 gene, whose encoded protein is responsible for the replication of viral genome in the late phase of lytic infection. The results indicated that the frequencies of BALF5 were 54.84% (17 of 31 samples), and 0% (0 of 14 samples) in NPC tumors and healthy specimens, respectively. The p value (p = 0.0005) showed the significant correlation between the presence of BALF5 gene and nasopharyngeal cancer. Moreover, the high odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) were observed, counting for 35.000 (p = 0.0164) and 2.000 (p = 0.0002), respectively. In conclusion, PCR assay will be useful in detection of BALF5 gene presence, representing the presence of EBV. In near future, this method can be applied in early diagnosis and prognosis of NPC.