Epstein-Barr virus in selected cancer diseases / Wirus Epsteina-Barr w wybranych chorobach nowotworowych.

Viral infections contribute to many cancers worldwide and represent a significant percentage of deaths. Oncogenic viruses include the Epstein-Barr virus, which is the main cause of infectious mononucleosis and exhibits tropism towards B lymphocytes. Due to the presence of genes responsible for latency, it can contribute to many pathological conditions. Examples of this are high-fatal malignancies located in the stomach as well as in the head and neck. Moreover, this virus poses a serious threat to immunocompromised people, which is a significant problem nowadays due to the increasing number of patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. Particular attention in this case is lymphoproliferative disorders after transplantation, which are a malignant neoplasm associated with EBV infection. This review focuses on the role of the Epstein-Barr virus in selected cancers.

MiRNA-21-5p as a biomarker in EBV-associated oropharyngeal cancer.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with cancers of the head and neck, including oropharyngeal cancer, which is increasing in incidence, and biomarker studies have potential in diagnostics and therapy. One of the most commonly deregulated microRNAs in cancers is miR-21-5p. It has been implicated in neoplastic transformation related to EBV infection in several investigations. The aim of this study was to determine the level of miR-21-5p in the serum of EBV (+) and EBV (-) oropharyngeal cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 78 patients with confirmed OPSCC. Statistical analysis was used to investigate the relationship between clinical and demographic characteristics of patients. Enzyme immunoassays were used to determine the levels of miRNA, TLR9 and MMPs and cytokines. Statistical analysis was used to determine the relationship between miR21-5p and TLR9, MMP3, MMP9 levels, and the cytokines studied. RESULTS: Significantly higher values of all tested parameters for miR-21-5p levels and grading as well as TN stage were found in the EBV (+) group. There was no statistically significant correlation between the miR-21-5p level and the levels of TNFα, VEGF, and TGFß. Positive correlations were shown between miR-21-5p and IL-10, MMP-3 and -9. There was a negative correlation between the level of miR-21-5p and TLR9. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that in EBV (+) patients the level of miR-21-5p in the serum was significantly higher than in EBV (-) patients. Our study results could influence future strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of oropharyngeal cancers.

Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in the Oral Cavity of a Healthy Population in South-Eastern Poland.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with both benign lesions and with neoplastic diseases, such as oropharyngeal cancer. Due to the increasing occurrence of these neoplasms on a global scale, it seems important to estimate the risk factors in the population. So far, data on the presence of oral HPV in the European population are scarce. Oral HPV was detected in 53 out of 461 healthy subjects (11.5%) in south-eastern Poland. Among the most common oncogenic types, HPV 16 was reported in four subjects (0.87%) and HPV 18 in three subjects (0.65%). Another high-risk type, HPV 45, was detected in nine subjects (1.95%). Low risk types (HPV 6, 11, 54) were detected in 25 cases, which constituted 5.4% of all tested samples. In adults and children, statistically more HPV positive cases have been reported in males than in females. A positive relationship was demonstrated between age and the amount of positive oral HPV. The presence of HPV was statistically more frequent in the population living in urban rather than in rural areas in all studied age groups (p < 0.05).

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Prevalence in the Population of South-Eastern Poland.

COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China, and has spread to other continents, including Europe, placing pressure on healthcare systems. Poland is one of the European countries with the highest number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related deaths. The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the population of south-eastern Poland. The correlation between viral infection and demographic data (gender, age, place of residence) and cancer was also investigated. A total of 44,801 samples were tested, of which 4862 cases were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infections. A total of 14,970 samples were tested in cancer patients. The RT-PCR method was used to detect viral nucleic acid. In this study, significantly, the highest rate of virus detection was among people living in Lublin and the lowest among people living in a small town (p < 0.0001). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between sex and the frequency of virus detection. The highest number of SARS-CoV-2 infections was observed in the age groups 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, and 90+ (p = 0.0001). In cancer patients, the percentage of positive cases was significantly lower than in the rest (p = 0.0001).