Frequency of Epstein–Barr Virus DNA in Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Tissue of Patients with Ductal Breast Carcinoma

Background: Ductal carcinoma is one of the most common breast cancer (BrC) among the women in the world.Several factors may involve in establishment of breast cancer. The role of viral infections have been investigated inBrC, Among them the association of Epstein Barr virus have been reported in the patients with breast cancer typeductal carcinoma. Thus this study was conducted to evaluate the rate of Epstein Barr virus in women with breast cancertype ductal carcinoma. Material and methods: A total of 72 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks sampleswere collected from 37 (51.38%) women with breast cancer type ductal carcinoma and 35 (48.61%) samples of breastwith fibro adenoma as control group. The DNA was extracted for all the samples. The detection of EBNA 3C EBVDNA was done by nested PCR. The results of positive were sequenced to confirm PCR product and determine EBVgenotypes. Results: About 10/37 (27.02%) samples of ductal breast carcinoma were showed positive for EBNA 3CEBV DNA while 4/35 (11.42%) of fibro adenoma were positive for EBNA 3C EBV DNA (p= 0.095). Randomly 7PCR products were sequenced and the results of sequencing EBNA 3C shows, the detected EBVDNA were type 1EBV type. Conclusion: This study shows high prevalence of 27.02% EBV DNA type 1 was found in formalin-fixedparaffin-embedded tissue of Patients with ductal breast carcinoma. The outcomes of this study suggesting that EBVmight have a significant role in breast cancer in Ahvaz city, south west region of Iran. However the expression of EBVoncoproteins ,EBNA1, LMP1, and LMP2 require to be determined with ductal carcinoma cells. About 72.97% breastsamples showed negative for EBVDNA. The role other viruses including Human cytomegalovirus, papilloma virusesand Merkel viruses are required to be investigated in further studies.