[Detection of Epstein-Barr virus in breast cancers with lymphoid stroma].

OBJECTIVE

the purpose of our work is to detect Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in 2 types of breast cancer: medullary carcinoma and high grade invasive ductal carcinoma with lymphoid stroma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

we proceeded to a retrospective study of 18 medullary carcinoma and 18 high grade invasive ductal carcinoma with lymphoid stroma. The detection of the virus was carried out by immunohistochemistry with anti-LMP2 antibody and by hybridization in situ by oligonucleotides EBER1 and EBER1. LMP1 as well as hybridization in situ were positive in 5 tumors (3 medullary carcinoma and 2 high grade invasive ductal carcinoma with lymphoid stroma).

RESULTS

positivity was observed in tumor cells and neither in epithelial non tumoral ones nor in lymphoid cells.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

during numerous years, correlations between the replication of EBV and the appearance of a malignant phenotype were limited to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to lymphoid cells. A controversy regarding the association of EBV with breast cancers has recently been reported in the literature. This cancer being very frequent, the involvement of EBV even in a small proportion of breast cancers could have important implications. Our results suggest a possible implication of EBV in these tumours but other studies are necessary.