Prevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus and Human Cytomegalovirus Among Women with Breast Cancer in Basrah, Iraq

Abstract

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women around the world and the most prevalent type of female cancer in Iraq. Accumulating evidence from the past ten years suggests that cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are linked to various human cancers; including breast cancer. The present study aimed to detect the prevalence of EBV, HCMV, and the EBV genotype in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks (FFPE) of women with breast cancer and determine whether EBV and HCMV are associated with breast cancer. 45 Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 33 breast cancer and 12 benign breast tumors (control group) were collected from the pathology laboratories at Al – Fayhaa Teaching Hospital and Al–Sadder Teaching Hospital in Basrah province of Iraq which were used in this investigation. Using the UL55 gene, the PCR method detected HCMV DNA in 31/33 (93.9%) of breast cancer and 11/12 (91.7%) of benign breast tumors. EBV DNA was detected in 19/33 (57.6% )while among 12 benign breast tumors control group was EBV DNA positive 6 ( 50%).type1 EBV is the predominant type in these samples. The presence of both viruses in the same sample was found in (51.1 %) of the cases in this study. This study found that breast cancer with (IDC) and grade III had the highest percentage of both HCMV and EBV infection. In conclusion, the current findings indicate that EBV and/or HCMV may be associated with breast cancer.