Epstein-Barr virus receptors but not viral DNA are present in normal and malignant oral epithelium.

The presence and distribution of Epstein-Barr Virus receptors (EBVR's) on a range of normal (n = 18), dysplastic (n = 10) and malignant (n = 20) oral mucosa were studied by immunocytochemical methods using the monoclonal antibodies (MAb s) l-1B5 and B2. EBVR s were demonstrated as membrane staining of the spinous layers of normal non- and parakeratinized epithelium. indicating that EBVR's are differentiation-linked. This distribution was retained in dysplastic epithelium. Tissue from oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC's) showed variable reactivity of only a few cells scattered randomly within the samples. Furthermore, a sensitive in situ hybridization (ISH) technique was used to determine if Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) was present in normal (n= 15) and oral squamous cell carcinoma tissues (n=20). No EBV DNA was demonstrated within either normal or malignant epithelium, suggesting that the virus does not persist in normal oral stratified squamous epithelium nor is there any evidence for a role in oral carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]