The relationship between Human Papillomavirus and Epstein-Barr virus infections with breast cancer of Iranian patients

Abstract

Background and Aim: As the etiology and progression of breast cancer r emain incompletely understood, novel routes of disease pa thogenesis are important to consider. Some researchers have been found Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein Barr virus (EBV) in breast carcinomas (BCs). Methods: Paraffin-embedded sections from 65 female patients with breast carcinoma and 53 breast tissues from patients with fibrocystic disease as control were selected. After DNA extraction and amplificati on of housekeeping gene (beta-globin), all suitable samples were evaluated for presence of DNA-EBV and DNA-HPV by using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). Results: HPV DNA sequences were detected in 3 of the 53 benign breast tissue samples but none of the breast carcinoma samples was identified. EBV was detected by PCR in 23 of 65 (35.38%) cases of breas t cancer specimens and 11 of 53 (20.75%) control samples (fibroadenoma 7 of 26 (26.92%) and fibrocystic 4 of 27 (14.81%)) . A total of 118 samples from 34 cases (81/28%) were positive. Statistically, crammer indicator analysis for EBV i nfection in tumor samples and normal samples was 0.46 which indicates a significa nt relationship. Conclusion: Our analysis could not confirm a role of HPV in br east cancer but statistically, significant correlation between EBV infection and breast cancer exists. To demonstrate the possible relationship be tween viral load and breast cancer, need for epidemiological, biological and mo lecular mechanisms to clear the virus is involved in the process of carcinogene sis.