Abstract
Eight secondary malignancies developing after renal transplantation were investigated in terms of a possible role of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In five cases, four gastric cancers and one colonic cancer, the presence of EBV was proven by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), all four gastric lesions being confirmed to have a massive EBV infection by in situ hydridization. Two cases demonstrated monoclonal infection with EBV, as indicated by a single band of the lymphocyte-defined membrane antigen tandem-repeat gene using PCR, and were immunohistochemically positive for the latente membrane protein 1. Our series suggests that gastrointestinal cancer predominates as a secondary malignancy in states of induced severe immunosuppression, and that EBV may play an important role in tumorigenesis as an oncovirus.
Key words: Epstein-Barr virus, Renal transplantation, Gastric cancer, Lymphocyte-determined membrane antigen gene, Latent membrane protein
Abbreviations
- PCR
polymerase chain reaction
- ISH
in situ hybridization
- EBV
Epstein-Barr virus
- IR
internal repeat
- LYOMA
lymphocyte-determined membrane antigen
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