Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 103 in total

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  1. Wong MM, Lye MS, Cheng HM, Sam CK
    Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol, 2005 Mar;23(1):65-7.
    PMID: 15997877
    The antibody levels to viral capsid antigen (VCA) and early antigen (EA) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in 164 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients from Sarawak, East Malaysia were significantly higher than those in 147 sex, age and ethnically matched healthy controls. As diagnostic markers of NPC, IgG/VCA at reciprocal titers > or =160 was the most sensitive (89%, with 98% specificity), while IgA/EA at > or =5 was the most specific (100%) but the least sensitive (75%). The sensitivity and specificity of IgA/VCA at reciprocal titers > or =10 were 84% and 97%. IgA/VCA has an advantage over IgG/VCA despite the slightly lower sensitivity due to its consistently more distinct fluorescence reaction. The sensitivity and specificity can be marginally improved by a combination of two tests.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  2. Karim N, Pallesen G
    Malays J Pathol, 2003 Jun;25(1):45-7.
    PMID: 16196377
    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has consistently been detected in the tumour cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and lymphoepithelial-like carcinoma of the salivary glands, and have occasionally been found in similar tumours at other sites. Moreover, recent studies from various parts of the world including the Orient have shown about 10% of gastric carcinomas to be EBV-associated. We studied 50 gastric carcinomas from Malaysia to investigate its association with EBV in the Malaysian population. They comprised 37 intestinal and 13 diffuse type carcinomas from 32 male and 18 female patients, age range from 29 to 86 years with an ethnic distribution of Malay: Chinese: Indian with the ratio of 4: 27: 19. EBV gene and gene-expression were examined in sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue using commercially available probes for detecting EBV encoded RNAs (EBERs) by in situ hybridization and monoclonal antibodies to EBV latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) by standard immunohistochemistry. Five of 50 gastric carcinomas showed EBER intranuclear positivity in all tumour cells but no cases expressed LMP-1. The EBV-associated cases were classified as intestinal type in 4 and diffuse type in one case and all were histologically unremarkable. EBV-positive tumours were found in 3 Chinese and 2 Indian patients with none in the small Malay group. Four EBV-positive tumours were in male patients, with age-range of 65 to 86 years. We conclude that our findings of about 10% of Malaysian gastric carcinomas being EBV-associated is in line with the results from other parts of the world and from other ethnic groups.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics*
  3. Peh SC, Kim LH, Poppema S
    Am. J. Surg. Pathol., 2001 Jul;25(7):925-9.
    PMID: 11420464
    Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) has been identified as a lymphocyte-directed CC chemokine that attracts activated T-helper type 2 (Th2) cells in humans. Recent studies showed that the T cells surrounding Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphomas (HL) are Th2 type. Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL), T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma (TCRBCL) can mimic HL in some instances. This study aimed to establish the pattern of TARC expression in these diseases. Immunohistochemical stain using a polyclonal goat anti-human antibody to TARC was performed on 119 cases of confirmed HL; 99 were classical type (43 mixed cellularity, 43 nodular sclerosis, 5 lymphocyte depleted, 4 lymphocyte rich, 4 unclassifiable) and 20 lymphocyte predominant HL. Additional 27 ALCL (9 T-, 18 null-cell phenotype), 16 T-cell and 8 B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were studied. A total of 85.8% of the classical HL, one case of ALCL, and one case of large cell B-cell lymphoma with anaplastic morphology showed positive TARC expression in the tumor cells. The expression was paranuclear and/or diffuse in the cell cytoplasm. The tumor cells in all cases of lymphocyte predominant HL, TCRBCL, null ALCL, and T-NHL did not express TARC. The high frequency of TARC expression in the Reed-Sternberg cells of classical HL may explain the characteristic T-cell infiltrate in this disease. The absence in other types that may be morphologically similar indicates that staining for TARC may aid in differential diagnosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/isolation & purification
  4. Prasad U, bin Jalaludin MA, Rajadurai P, Pizza G, De Vinci C, Viza D, et al.
    Biotherapy, 1996;9(1-3):109-15.
    PMID: 8993768
    Overall survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at UICC stage IV still remains unsatisfactory even with combination chemotherapy (CT) and radio-therapy (RT). In view of the association of reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with the development and recurrence of NPC, immunotherapy in the form of transfer factor (TF) with specific activity against EBV (TF-B1) was suggested as an adjuvant to a combination of CT and RT in order to improve survival. In the present study, 6 UICC stage IV patients received TF-B1 and another 6 patients matched for disease stage were given TF prepared from peripheral blood leucocytes (TF-PBL). Results were compared with another 18 patients matched by age, sex, and stage of disease who received standard therapy without TF during the same period (C group). After a median follow up of 47.5 months, the survival for the TF-B1 group was found to be significantly better (P = < 0.05) than the PBL and C group. While the 8 patients with distant metastasis (DM), not treated with TF-B1 (6 in the control and 2 in the PBL group), died due to progressive disease (average survival being 14.3 months), both patients with DM in the TF-B1 group had complete remission: one died of tuberculosis after surviving for 3.5 years and another is still alive, disease free, after 4.2 years. Although the series involved a small number of cases, the apparent effect of adjuvant immunotherapy in the form of TF with anti-EBV activity is of considerable interest.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  5. Goh SH, Hew NF, Norhanom AW, Yadav M
    Int J Cancer, 1994 May 15;57(4):529-31.
    PMID: 8181855
    Inhibition of tumour promotion by various vitamin E compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols) and some of their dimers was examined by an in vitro assay utilizing the activation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early antigen (EA) expression in EBV-genome-carrying human lymphoblastoid cells. The results reveal that gamma- and delta-tocotrienols derived from palm oil exhibit a strong activity against tumour promotion by inhibiting EBV EA expression in Raji cells induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). However, alpha- and gamma-tocopherols and dimers of gamma-tocotrienol or gamma-tocopherol lack this activity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics
  6. Mathew A, Cheng HM, Sam CK, Prasad U
    Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol., 1994 May;71(2):164-8.
    PMID: 7514112
    Inhibition studies were carried out to study possible cross-reactivity between a peptide fragment of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen, EBNA-1, and keratin/collagen. The 20-amino acid peptide (pAG), derived from a glycine-alanine repeat region of EBNA-1, uniquely makes up about one-third of the viral protein and is a dominant IgA antigenic epitope in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A small percentage of normal human sera (NHS) also binds pAG and this reactivity is examined in this study. Ten percent (2/20) and 13.4% (2/15) of IgA-pAG-positive NPC sera and NHS, respectively, were significantly inhibited by keratin in a competitive ELISA system. Conversely, 31.6% (6/19) and 30.8% (4/13) of IgA-keratin-positive NPC sera and NHS, respectively, were significantly inhibited by pAG. This indicated minimum cross-reactivity between IgA serum antibodies to EBNA-1 and keratin. Using collagen as inhibitor, none of 18 and only 2/13 IgA-pAG-positive NPC sera and NHS, respectively, were inhibited. In the collagen ELISA system, only 2/19 (10.5%) and 4/25 (16%) of IgA-collagen-positive NPC sera and NHS, respectively, were inhibited with pAG. Therefore, cross-reactivity with collagen was also low. IgA-pAG-positive NHS may therefore not be a false positive phenomenon, but whether it may represent an early serological profile related to NPC carcinogenesis remains to be determined.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology
  7. Foong YT, Cheng HM, Sam CK, Dillner J, Hinderer W, Prasad U
    Int J Cancer, 1990 Jun 15;45(6):1061-4.
    PMID: 1693600
    The Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen I (EBNA I) is the only latent EBV antigen consistently expressed in malignant tissues of the nasopharynx. A 20-amino-acid synthetic peptide, p107 contains a major epitope of EBNA I. We tested sera from 210 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and from 128 normal individuals (NHS) for IgA antibodies to p107 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Whereas 191/210 (91%) of NPC patients had IgA antibodies to p107, only 17/128 (13.3%) of NHS had such antibodies and only 6/57 (10.5%) of sera from patients with malignancies other than NPC had IgA-p107 reactivity. Thirty-nine salivary samples from 46 NPC patients (84.8%) also contained IgA-p107 antibodies whereas only 3/42 (7.1%) of normal saliva samples were IgA-p107 positive. The results suggest that IgA antibodies to EBNA I may become a useful, easily measurable, marker for NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  8. Yadav MS, Malliga N, Ablashi DV
    Microbiologica, 1987 Jan;10(1):29-35.
    PMID: 3033449
    The pattern of seroconversion to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was determined in 98 Malaysian children aged 2 weeks to 12 years. Maternal IgG antibodies to EBV viral capsid antigen, ranging between 1:10 to 1:160 titer, were found in 70.6 percent of infants less than three months old, and dropped to 26 percent by seven to nine months. Primary infection, as denoted by emergence of EBV-IgM antibody, occurred at 4 to 6 months, and by eight years all children were seropositive. Maternal antibody titers to EBV nuclear antigen were detected in 52.9 percent of infants less than 3 months old, declined to undetectable levels by 4 to 12 months, and then increased to 40 percent by the age of 12 years. The IgA antibody to viral capsid antigen was absent in all but one infant aged one year; the child also had IgG anti-early antigen, The IgG antibody to EBV early antigen were present in 17.7 percent of the infants aged 3 months or less. This seroconversion to EBV in early life explains the absence of infectious mononucleosis in the Malaysian population. The data suggest that a subunit vaccine to protect against EBV-associated diseases, most notably nasopharyngeal carcinoma, commonly observed in Malaysians would have to be administered to infants 6-12 months of age.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  9. Sam CK, Prasad U, Pathmanathan R
    Eur J Surg Oncol, 1989 Aug;15(4):357-60.
    PMID: 2547665
    The titres of IgA against Epstein-Barr virus, viral capsid antigens and the titres of IgG against early antigen were found to be useful markers for the diagnosis of different histopathological types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology
  10. Teoh SH, Khoo JJ, Abdul Salam DSD, Peh SC, Cheah SC
    Malays J Pathol, 2019 Dec;41(3):273-281.
    PMID: 31901912
    INTRODUCTION: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with several B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but the role of EBV in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is poorly defined. Several studies indicated the expression of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) is predominant in EBV(+)- DLBCL, of which its activated form can promote the downstream oncogenes expression such as c-MYC. c-MYC gene rearrangements are frequently found in aggressive lymphoma with inferior prognosis. Furthermore, EBV is a co-factor of MYC dysregulation. JAK1/STAT3 could be the downstream pathway of EBV and deregulates MYC. To confirm the involvement of EBV in JAK1/ STAT3 activation and MYC deregulation, association of EBV, pSTAT3 and MYC in EBV(+)- DLBCL cases were studied. The presence of pSTAT3 and its upstream proteins: pJAK1 is identify to delineate the role of EBV in JAK1/STAT3 pathway.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: 51 cases of DLBCL paraffin-embedded tissue samples were retrieved from a single private hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. EBER-ISH was performed to identify the EBV expression; ten EBV(+)-DLBCL cases subjected to immunohistochemistry for LMP1, pJAK1, pSTAT3 and MYC; FISH assay for c-MYC gene rearrangement.

    RESULTS: Among 10 cases of EBV(+)-DLBCL, 90% were non-GCB subtype (p=0.011), 88.9% expressed LMP1. 40% EBV(+)-DLBCL had pJAK1 expression.

    CONCLUSION: 66.7% EBV(+)-DLBCL showed the positivity of pSTAT3, which implies the involvement of EBV in constitutive JAK/STAT pathway. 44.5% EBV(+)-DLBCL have co-expression of pSTAT3 and MYC, but all EBV(+)-DLBCL was absence with c-MYC gene rearrangement. The finding of clinical samples might shed lights to the lymphomagenesis of EBV associated with non-GCB subtypes, and the potential therapy for pSTAT3-mediated pathway.

    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/pathogenicity*
  11. Tan EL, Looi LM, Sam CK
    Singapore Med J, 2006 Sep;47(9):803-7.
    PMID: 16924363
    Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an important cancer in Malaysia and is one of the major causes of cancer mortality in this country. This study evaluates the diagnostic and prognostic values in the quantitative relationship between the cell-free Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) load and the tumour burden.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics*
  12. Cheng HM, Foong YT, AbuSamah AJ, Dillner J, Sam CK, Prasad U
    Cancer Immunol Immunother, 1995 Apr;40(4):251-6.
    PMID: 7750123
    The linear antigenic epitopes of the Epstein-Barr virus replication activator protein (ZEBRA), recognised by specific serum IgG in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), were determined. This was achieved by synthesizing the entire amino acid sequence of ZEBRA as a set of 29, 22-residue peptides with an overlap of 14 amino acids. The ZEBRA peptides were tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG binding in sera from 37 selected NPC patients who had IgG antibodies to the native ZEBRA protein. The most immunogenic epitope was peptide 1 at the amino-terminal end with 36 of the sera reactive against it. Further analysis of peptide 1, using the multipin peptide-scanning technique, defined a 10-amino-acid sequence FTPDPYQVPF, which was strongly bound by IgG. Two other regions of ZEBRA were also identified as immunodominant IgG epitopes, namely peptide 11 (amino acids 82-103) and peptide 19/20 (amino acids 146-175) with 8-13 of the NPC sera reactive against the peptides. The number of peptides reactive with individual NPC serum varies from 1 to 6 or more and there is some correlation between a greater number of peptide (at least 4) bound and a higher (at least 1:40) titre of serum IgA to viral capsid antigen. The immunodominant ZEBRA peptide 1 could be utilised in IgG ELISA for the detection of NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  13. Cheng HM, Foong YT, Mathew A, Sam CK, Dillner J, Prasad U
    J Virol Methods, 1993 Apr;42(1):45-51.
    PMID: 7686558
    An ELISA using the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA 1) was found to detect selectively specific IgA in sera from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The antigen, p107, was a 20-amino acid synthetic peptide, representing a major epitope of EBNA 1.267/294 (90.8%) of NPC patients had IgA antibodies to p107 but in normal individuals, only 41/577 (7.1%) had IgA/p107. In sera from patients with other cancers, 11/77 (14.3%) had IgA/p107 reactivity. 124 IgA/VCA positive and 86 IgA/VCA negative NPC sera were also tested for IgA/p107 binding in ELISA. The majority of IgA/VCA positive sera (117) also contained IgA/p107 antibodies. Of interest was the detection of 74/86 IgA/p107 reactive sera in the IgA/VCA negative group. The results suggest that the IgA/p107 ELISA could become a useful, complementary screening assay to the IgA/VCA immunofluorescence test for detection of NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  14. Yadav M, Prasad U
    PMID: 6095462
    The antibody titres to P. falciparum and Epstein-Barr Virus-associated antigens were assayed in 22 patients with NPC and 43 controls. All, but one patient had antimalarial titres; 14 had titres greater than 80 and 4 patients greater than 640. Compared to controls the mean anti-malarial titre for most age groups were higher in the patients. Those patients with high anti-malarial titres also had high IgA anti-VCA titre, an antibody which has been demonstrated to be diagnostic for NPC. The peak anti-VCA (IgG) and anti-EA (IgG) antibody titres were associated with anti-falciparum titres of 320-640 and 80-160, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to the possible association between malarial infection and etiology of NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology*
  15. Mohamed R, Lavin MF
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1989 Feb 15;158(3):749-54.
    PMID: 2537634
    Anomalies in DNA replication, repair and recombination in ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) point to a defect in structure or function of chromatin. In this study we have compared DNA-protein binding in nuclear extracts from control and A-T cells using two assay systems, filter-binding and DNA-accessibility. Interestingly, the extent of DNA protein binding over a range of protein concentration was significantly lower in A-T extracts. In addition the accessibility of the restriction enzyme Eco R1 to protein-bound plasmid was greater when A-T extracts were used. This is in keeping with the reduced binding observed in the filter-binding assay.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human
  16. Hooi Yeen Yap, Jack Bee Chook, Sin Yeang Teow
    MyJurnal
    ntroduction: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent cancer among human population in Southern China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, NPC is the fourth most common cancer in both sexes, predominantly in the Chinese. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is known to be highly associated with NPC. Fibroblast growth factor receptor-4 (FGFR4) is part of the family of tyrosine kinase receptors that regulate cell survival, differentiation and pro-liferation. The binding of FGFR4 ligands such as fibroblasts growth factors (FGFs) has been shown to activate various oncogenic signalling pathway including MAPK, Ras and PI3K-Akt pathways. In the past, FGFR4 has been shown to promote tumorigenesis and tumour progression in various cancers such as liver, colon, breast and pancreatic and gastric cancers. However, its role in NPC establishment and pathogenesis is under-explored. This study aimed to evaluate the FGFR4 expression in NPC using various cell lines and its potential as a therapeutic target for NPC treat-ment by gene silencing. Methods: The basal FGFR4 level of NPC (EBV-positive: C666-1 and EBV-negative: HONE1 and HK1) and nasopharyngeal epithelial (NPE) normal (NP69 and NP460) cell lines was determined by western blot analysis and RT-qPCR. FGFR4 level at different time points (0, 24, 48, and 72 hours) in HONE1 and C666-1 cell lines were determined by western blot analysis. Luminescence-based assay was performed to determine the cell prolifer-ation of NPC cells in correlation with the FGFR4 expression. NPC cells were then treated with the optimised FGFR4 siRNA or FGFR inhibitor, BLU-9931 and the silencing/ inhibition of FGFR4 expression was confirmed by western blot analysis. The effect of FGFR4 inhibition on the cell proliferation and aggressiveness of NPC cells was then investigat-ed through wound healing assay and invasion marker analysis. Results: Out of the five tested cell lines, HONE1 and C666-1 highly expressed FGFR4, NP69 showed very low expression while HK1 and NP460 did not express FGFR4. In the time-point study, the FGFR4 level of HONE1 and C666-1 peaked at 24-48 hours which is the exponential phase of cells. Following that, the FGFR4 level decreased corresponding to the decreased cell growth rate due to the nutrient deprivation. siRNA experiments showed that 6.25nM of four siRNAs (5, 6, 9 and 10) could effectively target and silence the FGFR4 expression of HONE1, but not in C666-1 even up to 250nM was tested. When BLU-9931 was used, only modest inhibition was observed in both cells at 3uM. Compared to the untreated control, FGFR4-inhibited HONE1 exhibited decreased cell proliferation rate. Cell migration and invasion capabilities of HONE1 were also significantly reduced following the FGFR4 silencing, suggesting the potential of utilising FGFR4 as the therapeutic target. Conclusion: FGFR4 is highly expressed in C666-1 (EBV-positive) and HONE1 (initially EBV-positive, but lost EBV genome in subsequent in vitro passage) NPC cells, but not in EBV-negative HK1 NPC cell and normal NPE cells. FGFR4 gene silencing effectively inhibited the cell proliferation, migration and invasive potentials of NPC cell line. These findings highlight the therapeutic value of targeting FGFR4 for NPC treatment. Further investigations are war-ranted to reveal the molecular mechanism and the possible role of EBV in regulating FGFR4 pathway.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human
  17. Wan Ahmad Kammal WS, Mohd Rose I, Md Zin RR, Raja Ali RA, Masir N
    Malays J Pathol, 2019 Aug;41(2):195-199.
    PMID: 31427556
    INTRODUCTION: Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma is a rare tumour, typically involving the upper aerodigestive tract. Even rarer is primary extranasal disease involving the skin, testis, soft tissue and gastrointestinal tract.

    CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 46-year-old Chinese male who presented with six months history of abdominal pain, weight loss and rectal bleeding. Diagnostic colonoscopy revealed multiple aphthous ulcers within the ileo-caecal region and distal transverse colon, separated by normal mucosa, mimicking skip lesions of Crohn's colitis. Computer topography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed multiple circumferential thickenings involving predominantly the right colon. A clinical diagnosis of colonic Crohn's disease with possible perforation was made. An extended right hemicolectomy was performed due to uncontrolled rectal bleeding. Histopathology examination of the colon showed infiltration by malignant lymphoid cells associated with necrosis, angiocentricity and angiodestruction. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed T-cell monoclonality, presence of cytotoxic granules and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. A diagnosis of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma of the colon was made.

    DISCUSSION: These findings highlight that colonic NK/T cell lymphoma may clinically mimic other benign inflammatory lesions and should be one of the differential diagnoses in patients presenting with gastrointestinal lesions. The final diagnosis is only possible with appropriate histological and immunohistochemical studies.

    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human
  18. Eng Zhuan Ban, Munn Sann Lye, Crystale Siew Ying Lim, Hejar Abdul Rahman, Pei Pei Chong
    MyJurnal
    Cancers of the oral cavity are more common worldwide in men than in women, and the same is true for cancer of the nasopharynx region, whereby nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) incidence rate in men is 2.5 times that in women. Different risk factors, including environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors, come into play in terms of contributing towards the development of these cancers. The increased incidence of oral cancers in developed countries in recent years are attributable to rises in the consumption of tobacco and/or alcoholic beverages, in addition to the traditional practice of betel quid chewing in some communities. As for NPC, the risk factors include male sex, overconsump-tion of preserved salted fish and smoking. In terms of etiology due to microbial agents, the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked with oral cancers whereby HPV DNA was found in about 2 out of 3 oropharyngeal cancer cases. In contrast, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been closely associated with most cases of NPC. Specifically, NPC is categorized by the WHO into two main histological types—keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (type I) and non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (types II and III), and it is the non-keratinizing type (types II and III) which has very high percentage of EBV DNA. The oncogenicity of these viruses had been studied extensively, and they are now recognized as crucial early triggers of NPC and oral cancers. Genetic factors can also predispose a person to the development of either oral cancer or NPC. Certain HLA class I alleles are associated with increased risks for NPC. Genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding the cytochrome P450 enzymes and glutathione S-transferase had been identified as potential risk factors for NPC. In our studies, we had shown that polymorphism in the XPD gene which encodes a DNA helicase enzyme involved in nucleotide excision repair was linked to risk for NPC in Malaysian population. We also found that the combination of CGC allele from hOGG1, ITGA2 and XPD polymorphisms was significantly associated with increased odds of NPC. In oral cancers, studies by other researchers revealed that gene polymorphisms in HOTAIR gene and the interaction with betel quid chewing are linked to oral cancer risk. Specific COX-2 gene polymorphisms were also found to be associated with increased risk for oral cancer development and progression. Taken together, these studies show a strong correlation between viral etiology combined with the indi-vidual’s genetic background coupled with certain risky lifestyle behaviours which together contribute towards the development of oral cancer and NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human
  19. Lee KT, Tan JK, Lam AK, Gan SY
    Crit Rev Oncol Hematol, 2016 Jul;103:1-9.
    PMID: 27179594 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2016.04.006
    Despite significant medical advancement, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat where it continues to prevail especially among the Asian population. miRNAs could act as tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes in NPC. They play important roles in the pathogenesis of NPC by regulating specific target genes which are involved in various cellular processes and pathways. In particular, studies on miRNAs related to the Epstein Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein one (LMP1) and EBVmiRNA- BART miRNA confirmed the link between EBV and NPC. Both miRNA and its target genes could potentially be exploited for prognostic and therapeutic strategies. They are also important in predicting the sensitivity of NPC to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The detection of stable circulating miRNAs in plasma of NPC patients has raised the potential of miRNAs as novel diagnostic markers. To conclude, understanding the roles of miRNA in NPC will identify ways to improve the management of patients with NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human
  20. Bruce JP, To KF, Lui VWY, Chung GTY, Chan YY, Tsang CM, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2021 07 07;12(1):4193.
    PMID: 34234122 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24348-6
    Interplay between EBV infection and acquired genetic alterations during nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) development remains vague. Here we report a comprehensive genomic analysis of 70 NPCs, combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of microdissected tumor cells with EBV oncogene expression to reveal multiple aspects of cellular-viral co-operation in tumorigenesis. Genomic aberrations along with EBV-encoded LMP1 expression underpin constitutive NF-κB activation in 90% of NPCs. A similar spectrum of somatic aberrations and viral gene expression undermine innate immunity in 79% of cases and adaptive immunity in 47% of cases; mechanisms by which NPC may evade immune surveillance despite its pro-inflammatory phenotype. Additionally, genomic changes impairing TGFBR2 promote oncogenesis and stabilize EBV infection in tumor cells. Fine-mapping of CDKN2A/CDKN2B deletion breakpoints reveals homozygous MTAP deletions in 32-34% of NPCs that confer marked sensitivity to MAT2A inhibition. Our work concludes that NPC is a homogeneously NF-κB-driven and immune-protected, yet potentially druggable, cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics*; Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology; Herpesvirus 4, Human/pathogenicity
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