Epstein-Barr Virus Infection as One of the Predisposition Factor for Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

There have been many studies reported that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with nasopharyngeal cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.1,2 Recently, many studies find that Epstein-Barr virus infection is also associated with the occurrence of other cancers such as colorectal cancer.1,2 Song et al, reported that EBV LMP1 exon 3 and W fragments were detected in 27.7% and 32.2% of the colorectal carcinoma specimens, which were significantly higher than the positive rate of EBV gene in the adjacent noncancerous tissues (4.0%, p < 0.001 ).1 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen (EBNA)1 is the only viral protein expressed in all EBV-carrying malignancies. Gruhne et al, found that EBNA-1 induced chromosomal aberrations, DNA double-strand breaks, and engagement of the DNA damage response (DDR). EBNA-1 promotes genomic instability via induction of reactive oxygen species.3 In this new issue, Simatupang et al, found that EBV viral infection plays a role in the pathology of colon cancer. The findings of EBNA-1 expressions on lymphocytes B membranes proved that there was a chronic EBV infection in patients with colorectal carcinoma. This finding is inline with other studies which found the correlation between Epstein-Barr virus infection and colorectal cancer.