Absence of in situ hybridization evidence for latent- or lytic-phase Epstein-Barr virus infection of preinvasive squamous lesions of the cervix.

To investigate whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of the uterine cervix plays a significant role in cervical carcinogenesis, 30 preinvasive squamous lesions were subjected to in situ hybridization for (EBER-1,-2, and BHLF1) EBV transcripts which are expressed in latent and lytic infection, respectively. Twenty cases were known to contain EBV sequences by previous polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Irrespective of EBV PCR status or histological grade, none of the 30 cases demonstrated EBV transcripts in squamous epithelial cells. Two cases showed very occasional EBER-positive stromal cells, most probably representing resident cervical lymphocytes. These findings suggest that EBV plays no part in early cervical carcinogenesis.